Washington State Route 509

State Route 509 marker

State Route 509

SR 509 is highlighted in red.
Route information
Auxiliary route of I-5
Defined by RCW 47.17.680
Maintained by WSDOT
Length: 35.17 mi[1] (56.60 km)
Existed: 1964[2] – present
Major junctions
South end: I‑705 in Tacoma
  SR 99 in Federal Way
SR 516 in Des Moines
SR 518 in Burien
North end: SR 99 in Seattle
Location
Counties: Pierce, King
Highway system
← SR 508SR 510 →

State Route 509 (SR 509) is a 35.17-mile-long (56.60 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Washington, connecting Tacoma in Pierce County to Seattle in King County. The highway travels north from Interstate 705 (I-705) in Tacoma to SR 99 south of downtown Seattle. It serves cities along the Puget Sound and west of Seattle–Tacoma International Airport in south King County, including Federal Way, Des Moines, and Burien. SR 509 is part of the National Highway System and is a limited-access highway near the Port of Tacoma and from Burien to its northern terminus in Seattle. Prior to the 1964 highway renumbering, the highway was part of Secondary State Highway 1V (SSH 1V) from Tacoma to Des Moines and SSH 1K from Des Moines to Seattle. SR 509 was re-aligned onto the Burien Freeway in 1968 and the Port of Tacoma bypass in 1997, coinciding with the opening of its interchange with I-705 and the cable-stayed 21st Street Bridge. Various proposals since 1988 have recommended building a freeway extension of SR 509 within the city of SeaTac, connecting the Burien Freeway to I-5, that remains unbuilt.

Route description

SR 509 traveling across the Thea Foss Waterway on the cable-stayed 21st Street Bridge within Tacoma, connecting downtown to the Port of Tacoma.

SR 509 begins as South 21st Street at a single-point urban interchange with I-705 in downtown Tacoma in Pierce County,[3][4] providing access to the Tacoma campus of the University of Washington and the Tacoma Link light rail line on Pacific Avenue.[5][6] The highway travels east over the Thea Foss Waterway on the cable-stayed 21st Street Bridge into the Port of Tacoma as a four-lane limited-access highway,[7][8] intersecting Portland Avenue in a half-diamond interchange before crossing the Puyallup River.[9] SR 509 continues east, parallel to a City of Tacoma rail line through a partial cloverleaf interchange with Port of Tacoma Road before the divided highway ends at Taylor Way.[10][11] The highway turns northwest along the Hylebos Waterway as Marine View Drive through the neighborhood of Northeast Tacoma towards Browns Point.[12][13][14] SR 509 passes through Dash Point and its state park along the Puget Sound into King County and the city of Federal Way.[15][16] The highway travels east as Dash Point Road through Federal Way past Decatur and Federal Way high schools before a junction with SR 99 west of I-5.[17][18] The concurrent SR 99 and SR 509 travel north as the Pacific Highway past the Evergreen Lutheran High School and Highline Community College to an intersection with SR 516 in western Kent.[19][20] SR 509 turns west to form a concurrency with SR 516, heading past Mount Rainier High School and into Des Moines, where SR 516 ends.[21][22][23]

SR 509 continues north onto Marine View Drive through the city of Normandy Park and into SeaTac.[24][25] The highway turns southeast onto Ambaum Boulevard and Des Moines Memorial Drive to a trumpet interchange, the southern terminus of a limited-access freeway section of SR 509.[26] The four-lane freeway travels west of Seattle–Tacoma International Airport through a closed half-diamond interchange with South 176th Street and a partial cloverleaf interchange with South 160th Street before entering the city of Burien.[27][28] SR 509 passes Highline High School before reaching a partial cloverleaf interchange with Southwest 148th Street and the western terminus of SR 518.[29][30][31] The freeway continues north into the West Seattle neighborhood of Seattle and intersects South 128th Street in a diamond interchange and South 112th Street in a half-diamond interchange.[32][33][34] SR 509 enters the Industrial District of Seattle and heads through an interchange with Cloverdale Street and Myers Way before ending at a partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 99 south of the First Avenue South Bridge over the Duwamish Waterway.[35][36][37] The roadway continues north as the SR 99 divided highway toward downtown Seattle and the Alaskan Way Viaduct.[1][21]

Every year, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) conducts a series of surveys on its highways in the state to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of annual average daily traffic (AADT), which is a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. In 2011, WSDOT calculated that the busiest section of SR 509 was the limited-access highway between Burien and its northern terminus in Seattle, serving 54,000 vehicles, while the least busiest section was within Dash Point and Dash Point State Park, serving 2,600 vehicles.[38] SR 509 between SeaTac and Seattle is designated as part of the National Highway System,[39] which includes roadways important to the national economy, defense, and mobility.[40] The highway from Tacoma to Federal Way and from SeaTac to Seattle are designated as part of WSDOT's Highways of Statewide Significance,[41][42] which includes highways that connect major communities in the state of Washington.[43]

History

The present route of SR 509 from Des Moines to Seattle roughly follows a wagon road constructed in the late 1890s by King County along the Puget Sound.[44] The highway between Federal Way and Kent was codified in 1923 as part of State Road 1 and in 1937 as Primary State Highway 1 (PSH 1).[45][46] During the creation of the primary and secondary state highways in 1937, the highway between Tacoma and Federal Way was designated as SSH 1V and the highway between Des Moines and Seattle was designated as SSH 1K.[47] SSH 1V traveled 19.54 miles (31.45 km) north from PSH 1 in Tacoma through the Port of Tacoma on the 11th Street Bridge and the Blair Bridge, opened in 1913 and 1951 respectively,[48][49] to Federal Way, ending at an intersection with SSH 1K.[50][51] SSH 1K traveled 12.76 miles (20.54 km) south from PSH 1 at the First Avenue South Bridge in Seattle through Burien and east through Des Moines to PSH 1 in Midway.[50][51] The two highways were combined during the 1964 highway renumbering to become SR 509 and was codified into law in 1970.[2][52][53] SR 509 was realigned onto the newly constructed north–south Burien Freeway in 1968,[54] extending from Seattle to SeaTac.[55] The highway was originally routed through Saltwater State Park on Marine View Drive until 1991, when SR 509 was moved to two concurrencies with SR 99 in Federal Way and SR 516 in Des Moines.[2]

The freeway was planned to be extended south to SR 516 in the 1970s after a 4-mile (6.4 km) right-of-way was acquired by WSDOT before the project was canceled. The King County Department of Public Works recommended extending SR 509 southeast from South 188th Street to I-5 in 1988, with construction planned to begin in 1999 at an estimated cost of $252 million in 1996,[55][56] raised to $1.4 billion a decade later.[57] A freeway bypass of the Port of Tacoma was opened in 1997 and the highway was truncated to its current southern terminus, a single-point urban interchange with I-705 in downtown Tacoma near the 21st Street Bridge.[58][59] No major revisions to the route of SR 509 have occurred since 1997,[60] however, WSDOT is proposing a freeway extension to SR 509 to I-5 along with interchange improvements and new arterial streets.[61]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
PierceTacoma0.00–
0.02		0.00–
0.03		 I‑705 to SR 7 / I‑5 / Schuster Parkway – Ruston, Seattle, PortlandWestern terminus, interchange
0.06–
0.25		0.10–
0.40		21st Street Bridge
South end of freeway
0.51–
0.71		0.82–
1.14		Portland AvenueNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
1.66–
2.80		2.67–
4.51		Port of Tacoma Road
North end of freeway
KingFederal Way17.4828.13 SR 99 south (Pacific Highway)South end of SR 99 overlap
Kent21.5834.73 SR 99 north / SR 516 east to I‑5 – SeaTacNorth end of SR 99 overlap, south end of SR 516 overlap
Des Moines23.3737.61Marine View DriveNorth end of SR 516 overlap
SeaTac28.05–
28.47		45.14–
45.82		Des Moines Memorial Drive / South 188th Street
South end of freeway
28.85–
28.99		46.43–
46.65		South 176th Street
29.16–
29.88		46.93–
48.09		South 160th Street
Burien30.07–
30.70		48.39–
49.41		 SR 518 east to I‑5 / I‑405 / Southwest 148th Street – Sea-Tac
30.93–
31.02		49.78–
49.92		South 146th StreetNorthbound entrance and southbound exit
31.43–
32.07		50.58–
51.61		South 128th Street
32.89–
33.11		52.93–
53.29		South 112th Street / 5th Avenue South / Glendale Way SouthNorthbound entrance and southbound exit
Seattle34.03–
34.73		54.77–
55.89		Cloverdale Street / Myers Way – South Park, White Center
35.12–
35.17		56.52–
56.60		 SR 99 (West Marginal Way)Northern terminus, continues as SR 99
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Staff (2012), State Highway Log: Planning Report 2012, SR 2 to SR 971 (PDF), Washington State Department of Transportation, pp. 1549–1563, retrieved February 26, 2013
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "47.17.680: State route No. 509", Revised Code of Washington (Washington State Legislature), 1970; revised 1979, 1991, retrieved February 26, 2013 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ↑ SR 705: Junction SR 509/Pacific Avenue (PDF), Washington State Department of Transportation, June 12, 2009, retrieved February 26, 2013
  4. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: Tacoma", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), September 10, 1979, retrieved February 26, 2013
  5. ↑ Campus map and directory (PDF) (Map). University of Washington Tacoma. September 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: Thea Foss Waterway", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), September 1, 1990, retrieved February 26, 2013
  7. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: Port of Tacoma", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), September 10, 1979, retrieved February 26, 2013
  8. ↑ SR 509: Junction Portland Avenue (PDF), Washington State Department of Transportation, October 3, 2004, retrieved February 26, 2013
  9. ↑ 2011 Washington State Rail System (PDF) (Map). Washington State Department of Transportation. January 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  10. ↑ SR 509: Junction Milwaukee Way/Port of Tacoma Road (PDF), Washington State Department of Transportation, October 3, 2004, retrieved February 26, 2013
  11. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: Hylebos Waterway", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), September 10, 1979, retrieved February 26, 2013
  12. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: Northeast Tacoma", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), September 10, 1979, retrieved February 26, 2013
  13. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: Browns Point", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), September 10, 1979, retrieved February 26, 2013
  14. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: Dash Point", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), September 10, 1979, retrieved February 26, 2013
  15. ↑ Dash Point State Park (PDF) (Map). Washington State Parks. January 11, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: Decatur High School", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), March 1, 1993, retrieved February 26, 2013
  17. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: Federal Way High School", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), March 1, 1993, retrieved February 26, 2013
  18. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: Evergreen Lutheran High School", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), March 1, 1993, retrieved February 26, 2013
  19. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: Highline Community College", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), August 1, 1990, retrieved February 26, 2013
  20. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Google (February 26, 2013). "State Route 509" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: Des Moines", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), September 10, 1979, retrieved February 23, 2013
  22. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: Mount Rainier High School", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), August 1, 1990, retrieved February 23, 2013
  23. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: Normandy Park", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), September 10, 1979, retrieved February 26, 2013
  24. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: SeaTac", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), September 10, 1979, retrieved February 26, 2013
  25. ↑ SR 509: Junction Des Moines Way South/South 188th Street (PDF), Washington State Department of Transportation, August 1, 2011, retrieved February 26, 2013
  26. ↑ SR 509: Junction South 176th Street (PDF), Washington State Department of Transportation, August 2, 2011, retrieved February 26, 2013
  27. ↑ SR 509: Junction South 160th Street (PDF), Washington State Department of Transportation, August 1, 2011, retrieved February 26, 2013
  28. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: Burien", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), September 10, 1979, retrieved February 26, 2013
  29. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: Highline High School", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), September 10, 1979, retrieved February 26, 2013
  30. ↑ SR 509: Junction SR 518/South 146th Street (PDF), Washington State Department of Transportation, June 1, 2011, retrieved February 26, 2013
  31. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: West Seattle", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), September 10, 1979, retrieved February 26, 2013
  32. ↑ SR 509: Junction South 128th Street (PDF), Washington State Department of Transportation, October 19, 2010, retrieved February 26, 2013
  33. ↑ SR 509: Junction South 112th Street (PDF), Washington State Department of Transportation, October 1, 2004, retrieved February 26, 2013
  34. ↑ "Feature Detail Report for: Duwamish Waterway", Geographic Names Information System (United States Geological Survey), September 10, 1979, retrieved February 26, 2013
  35. ↑ SR 509: Junction South Cloverdale Street (PDF), Washington State Department of Transportation, May 2, 2011, retrieved February 26, 2013
  36. ↑ SR 99: Junction SR 509 (PDF), Washington State Department of Transportation, March 31, 2011, retrieved February 26, 2013
  37. ↑ Staff (2011), 2011 Annual Traffic Report (PDF), Washington State Department of Transportation, pp. 190–191, retrieved February 26, 2013
  38. ↑ National Highway System: Seattle, WA (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. October 1, 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  39. ↑ What is the National Highway System?, Federal Highway Administration, September 26, 2012, retrieved February 26, 2013
  40. ↑ Transportation Commission List of Highways of Statewide Significance (PDF), Washington State Transportation Commission, July 26, 2009, retrieved February 26, 2013
  41. ↑ Highways Of Statewide Significance (PDF) (Map). Washington State Department of Transportation. 2009. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  42. ↑ Lorenzo, Judy, Highways of Statewide Significance, Washington State Department of Transportation, retrieved February 26, 2013
  43. ↑ Washington: Tacoma Quadrangle (JPG) (Map). 1:250,000. United States Geological Survey. March 1900. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  44. ↑ Washington State Legislature (March 19, 1923), "Chapter 185: Primary and Secondary State Highways", Session Laws of the State of Washington, Session Laws of the State of Washington (1923 ed.), Olympia, Washington: Washington State Legislature, pp. 627–628, retrieved February 26, 2013, SECTION 1. A primary state highway, to be known as State Road No. 1 or the Pacific Highway, is established as follows: Beginning at the international boundary line at Blaine in the County of Whatcom; thence by the most feasible route in a southerly direction through the cities of Bellingham, Mt. Vernon, Everett, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Chehalis, Kelso and Vancouver to the interstate bridge over the Columbia River between Vancouver and Portland.
  45. ↑ Washington State Legislature (March 17, 1937), "Chapter 190: Establishment of Primary State Highways", Session Laws of the State of Washington, Session Laws of the State of Washington (1937 ed.), Olympia, Washington: Washington State Legislature, p. 933, retrieved February 26, 2013, A primary state highway to be known as Primary State Highway No. 1, or the Pacific Highway, is hereby established according to description as follows: Beginning at the international boundary line in the vicinity of Blaine in Whatcom county, thence in a southerly direction by the most feasible route by way of Bellingham, Mt. Vernon, Everett, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Centralia, Chehalis, Kelso and Vancouver to the Washington-Oregon boundary line on the interstate bridge over the Columbia river.
  46. ↑ Washington State Legislature (March 18, 1937), "Chapter 207: Classification of Public Highways", Session Laws of the State of Washington, Session Laws of the State of Washington (1937 ed.), Olympia, Washington: Washington State Legislature, pp. 996, 998, retrieved February 26, 2013, (k) Secondary State Highway No. 1K; beginning at Seattle on Primary State Highway No. 1, thence in a southerly direction by the most feasible route to Des Moines, thence in a southeasterly direction by the most feasible route to a junction with Primary State Highway No. 1; (u) Secondary State Highway No. 1V; beginning at Tacoma on Primary State Highway No. 1, thence in a northeasterly direction by the most feasible route by way of Redondo to Des Moines on Secondary State Highway No. 1K.
  47. ↑ Long, Priscilla (September 6, 2003), "Tacoma's Eleventh Street (City Waterway) Bridge opens on February 15, 1913.", HistoryLink, retrieved February 26, 2013
  48. ↑ Long, Priscilla (June 7, 2008), "Tacoma's Blair Bridge is closed and demolition begins on January 23, 1997.", HistoryLink, retrieved February 26, 2013
  49. ↑ 50.0 50.1 Staff (1960), Annual Traffic Report, 1960 (PDF), Washington State Highway Commission, Department of Highways, pp. 156, 162, retrieved February 26, 2013
  50. ↑ 51.0 51.1 Seattle, 1958 (JPG) (Map). 1:250,000. United States Geological Survey. 1958. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  51. ↑ Prahl, C. G. (December 1, 1965), Identification of State Highways (PDF), Washington State Highway Commission, Department of Highways, retrieved February 26, 2013
  52. ↑ Seattle, 1965 (JPG) (Map). 1:250,000. United States Geological Survey. 1965. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  53. ↑ "Slide Blocks Two Lanes of Freeway", The Spokesman-Review, December 25, 1968: 3, retrieved February 26, 2013
  54. ↑ 55.0 55.1 Stern, Stephan (December 17, 1990), "State Looks Again At Extending Highway 509", The Seattle Times, retrieved February 26, 2013
  55. ↑ Ervin, Keith, "Transit Plan / What Others Want -- Rta Foes Say Our Future Is Freeways -- We Shouldn't Waste Money On Transit, Critics Of Plan Say", The Seattle Times, retrieved February 26, 2013
  56. ↑ Lindblom, Mike, "Highway projects' costs rise sharply", The Seattle Times, retrieved February 26, 2013
  57. ↑ Oldham, Kit (June 25, 2008), "Port of Tacoma -- Thumbnail History, Part 3", HistoryLink, retrieved February 26, 2013
  58. ↑ Wilma, David (January 30, 2003), "Cable-stayed bridge over Tacoma's Thea Foss Waterway opens on January 22, 1997.", HistoryLink, retrieved February 26, 2013
  59. ↑ Washington State Highways, 2011–2012 (PDF) (Map). 1:842,000. Washington State Department of Transportation. 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  60. ↑ Everett, Susan (October 2012), I-5 - SR 509 Corridor Completion and Freight Improvement Project, Washington State Department of Transportation, retrieved February 26, 2013

External links

Route map: Bing