Washington State Route 397

State Route 397 marker

State Route 397
Route information
Defined by RCW 47.17.577
Maintained by WSDOT
Length: 22.31 mi[1] (35.90 km)
Existed: 1991[2] – present
Major junctions
South end: I‑82 / US 395 near Finley
North end: I‑182 / US 12 / US 395 in Pasco
Highway system
← US 395SR 401 →

State Route 397 (SR 397) is a state highway in Benton and Frankin counties, in the U.S. state of Washington. It extends 22.31 miles (35.90 km) from Interstate 82 east towards Piert Road in Finley before going north on the Cable Bridge over the Columbia River, to Interstate 182 (I-182), U.S. Route 12 (US 12), and US 395 in Pasco. The route serves as a connector between Finley, Kennewick, and Pasco. The road that SR 397 uses, Chemical Drive, continues for 190 feet (58 m) east from Piert Road/SR 397 to South Piert Road.[3]

SR 397 was approved by the Washington State Legislature in 1991, about 1 mile (1.6 km) shorter. Even though SR 397 was approved by the Washington State Legislature and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) in 1991, no signs went up until the law that made SR 397 took effect on April 1, 1992.[2] Later in 1993, the Legislature extended SR 397 to its current southern end. WSDOT and Benton County are currently constructing a connection between I-82 and US 395 and SR 397, dubbed the I-82 to SR 397 Intertie, officially County Route 397 by WSDOT and the Transportation Improvement Board, which is a bypass through the eastern area of the Horse Heaven Hills, located west of SR 397, I-82, and US 395. The road, when completed, will start at I-82/US 395 south of Kennewick, and is expected to go northeast and then curve southeast and then eastward into Finley and onto SR 397.[4]

Route description

SR 397 runs 24.6 miles from Interstate 82 in central Benton Country east to Piert Road in Finley, then north towards the Columbia River and over the Cable Bridge to Interstate 182 (I-182), U.S. Route 12 (US 12), and US 395 in Pasco. The route links Finley, Kennewick, and Pasco to each other and Interstate 82 heading towards Oregon.[5][6][7][8] WSDOT has found that about 18,000 motorists utilize the road daily before the intersection with West Ainsworth Street and South Tenth Avenue in Finley based on average annual daily traffic (AADT) data.[9] SR 397's newest section goes east through the Horse Heaven Hills south of the Tri-Cities from Interstate 82 and US 395 to South Piert Road to create an easier route for truckers traveling between I-82 and the Finley Chemical Plant. This section of SR 397 was added to the Washington State Highway system in 2009.

SR 397 starts at Interstate 82, running eastward towards an intersection with Olympia Street in the hills south of Kennewick. It curves towards the south while still heading east and turns into Finley Road before turning towards the northeast. When it arrives at South Piert Road, SR 397 goes west and crosses the railroad tracks of a railroad operated by the BNSF Railway, and then turns northwest, paralleling the railroad into Downtown Finley.[10][11] After entering Downtown, the road stops paralleling the railroad for about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) to intersect East Bowles Road and South Haney Road, before then returns to paralleling the railroad.[12] The highway continues northwest to intersect East Perkins Road and East Bryson Brown Road, before north and crossing another railroad, part of the Union Pacific Railroad.[10][11] From the crossing, SR 397 travels between the two railroads into Kennewick.[5]

In Kennewick, the road goes north and intersects East Columbia Drive, which goes west to SR 240 and US 395,[13] and then goes onto the Cable Bridge over the Columbia River into Pasco and Franklin County. After getting off of the Cable Bridge, the highway goes east as Ainsworth Street and again crosses BNSF Railway,[10] before turning north and crossing the BNSF Railway twice.[11] After crossing the railroads, SR 397 goes into Downtown Pasco and then the highway ends at a cloverleaf interchange with I-182, US 12, and US 395.[5]

History

The Pasco – Kennewick Bridge (1922 – 1995) as viewed from the Cable Bridge (1978 – present).

The Cable Bridge, officially the Ed Hendler Bridge,[14] was opened on September 16, 1978,[15][16][17] and was built to replace the Pasco – Kennewick Bridge, also known as the Benton – Franklin Inter-County Bridge,[18] that ran parallel to the bridge. The Pasco – Kennewick Bridge was dedicated and opened on October 21, 1922,[19][20] and was demolished in 1995.[21][22] The Pasco – Kennewick Bridge was constructed during World War I and carried a section of the Yellowstone Trail from 1912 until 1930,[21][23] State Road 3 from 1923 until 1937,[24][25] U.S. Route 410 (US 410) from 1926 until 1967,[23][26][27] Primary State Highway 3 (PSH 3) from 1937 until 1970,[25][28][29] and US 12 from 1967 until 1984,[23][30] at the opening of the Interstate 182 Bridge.[23][31][32][33]

SR 397 became a state highway in 1991, and the highway designation took effect on April 1, 1992.[2] When SR 397 was originally created, it started about one mile (1.6 km) north of its current southern ending. It was later extended in 1993.[34] The I-82 to SR 397 Intertie is a new 2-lane roadway being constructed from I-82/US 395 at exit 114 to SR 397 in Finley.[35][36] The road, which is expected to be 11.03 miles (17.75 km) long and the highway from I-82/US 395 to Olympia Street, about 3.24 miles (5.21 km) long, was completed in November 2004.[35][36] The second section of the road, from Olympia Street to Finley Road, about 5.39 miles (8.67 km) long, was completed in 2005.[35][36][37] The third segment, from Finley Road to SR 397, about 2.40 miles (3.86 km) long, was expected to be completed in 2005, but is still under construction as of October 2008.[35][36] In addition, the intertie is funded by multiple funding partners, which are listed on a sign at the current end of the intertie.[38] WSDOT, a state fuel tax, Benton County, the Federal Reserve, and the Port of Kennewick funded this project and the project's engineer is JUB Engineers, Inc., and the contractor for the project is Steelman-Duff Inc.[38] Also, the road is officially called County Route 397, but WSDOT considers it an extension or part of SR 397.[37][39]

Major intersections

A map of highways in Washington with SR 397 highlighted.
CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
Benton​0.000.00 I‑82 / US 395 south – Yakima, EllensburgSouthern terminus
Finley11.0817.83Piert RoadFormer southern terminus
Columbia River18.3229.48Cable Bridge
FranklinPasco20.3132.69 I‑182 west / US 12 / US 395 – Walla Walla, Ritzville, SpokaneNorthern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ↑ Washington State Department of Transportation (2009). "State Highway Log, 2009" (PDF). Retrieved May 31, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 Washington State Legislature. "RCW 47.17.577: State Route 397". Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  3. ↑ Google (October 6, 2008). "Chemical Drive Map" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  4. ↑ Benton County Building / Planning Department. "Kennewick – Finley Rural Planning Area". Retrieved October 7, 2008.
  5. 1 2 3 Google (October 6, 2008). "State Route 397 Map" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  6. ↑ The Road Atlas (Map). Rand McNally. 2008. p. 109. § K15. ISBN 0-528-93961-0.
  7. ↑ Inland Empire (Map) (2007 ed.). G.M. Johnson. 2007. Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  8. ↑ Tri Cities, Kennewick, Pasco, Richland (Map) (2007 ed.). G.M. Johnson. 2007. Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  9. ↑ Washington State Department of Transportation (2007). "Washington Annual Average Daily Traffic Data" (PDF). Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  10. 1 2 3 Washington State Railroad System (PDF) (Map). Cartography by U.S. Geological Survey. Washington State Department of Transportation. August 2007. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  11. 1 2 3 Washington State Department of Transportation. "Railroad Contacts in Washington State". Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  12. ↑ Google (October 6, 2008). "State Route 397 Map (Downtown Finley)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  13. ↑ East Columbia Drive (SR 240/US 395 to SR 397) (Map). Cartography by Tele Atlas. Google Maps. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  14. ↑ River Realty (Tri-Cities). "The Ed Hendler Bridge". Retrieved October 8, 2008.
  15. ↑ Structurae. "Ed Hendler Bridge". Retrieved October 8, 2008.
  16. ↑ Washington State Tourism. "Ed Hendler Bridge". Retrieved October 8, 2008.
  17. ↑ Trumbo, John (September 14, 2008). "Cable Bridge celebrates 30 years of suspense". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved October 8, 2008.
  18. ↑ Dorpat, Paul; Sherrard, Jean (2007). Washington Then & Now. Big Earth Publishing. p. 106. ISBN 1-56579-547-4.
  19. ↑ Structurae. "Pasco-Kennewick Bridge". Retrieved October 8, 2008.
  20. 1 2 Jackson, Donald C.; McCullough, David G. (1988). Great American Bridges and Dams. John Wiley & Sons. p. 314. ISBN 0-471-14385-5.
  21. ↑ Jackson & McCullough, pp. 68–70
  22. 1 2 3 4 Northwest Council. "Bridges on the Columbia River". Retrieved October 7, 2008.
  23. ↑ Washington State Legislature (1923). "185". Session Laws of the State of Washington. Session Laws of the State of Washington (1923 ed.). Olympia, Washington: Washington State Legislature. Retrieved September 27, 2008.
  24. 1 2 Washington State Legislature (1937). "190". Session Laws of the State of Washington. Session Laws of the State of Washington (1937 ed.). Olympia, Washington: Washington State Legislature. Retrieved September 27, 2008.
  25. ↑ Bureau of Public Roads & American Association of State Highway Officials (November 11, 1926). United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials (Map). 1:7,000,000. Washington, DC: U.S. Geological Survey. OCLC 32889555. Retrieved November 7, 2013 – via University of North Texas Libraries.
  26. ↑ Auto Road Atlas (Map). Rand McNally. 1926. Retrieved October 3, 2008.
  27. ↑ C. G. Prahl, Washington State Highway Commission (December 1, 1965). "Identification of State Highways, Part 1" (PDF).
  28. ↑ C. G. Prahl, Washington State Highway Commission (December 1, 1965). "Identification of State Highways, Part 2" (PDF).
  29. ↑ Weingroff, Richard F. (May 7, 2005). "U.S. 12 Michigan to Washington". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved March 20, 2008.
  30. ↑ Ozuna, Mandi. "About Tri Cities". Retrieved May 28, 2008.
  31. ↑ Gibson, Elizabeth (September 7, 2006). "Officials dedicate the Pioneer Memorial Bridge (Blue Bridge) spanning the Columbia between Pasco and Kennewick on July 30, 1954". HistoryLink. Retrieved May 27, 2008.
  32. ↑ Cantwell, Maria (September 29, 2005). "IN REMEMBRANCE OF SAM VOLPENTEST". Retrieved May 28, 2008.
  33. ↑ Washington State Legislature (1993). "Final Bill Report SHB 2023" (PDF). Retrieved October 7, 2008.
  34. 1 2 3 4 Washington State Department of Transportation. "I-82 to SR 397 Intertie Project". Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  35. 1 2 3 4 I-82 to SR 397 Intertie Map (Map). Cartography by Tele Atlas. Washington State Department of Transportation. 2008. Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  36. 1 2 Washington State Department of Transportation. "I-82 to SR 397 Intertie Folio" (PDF). Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  37. 1 2 Washington State Department of Transportation. "I-82 to SR 397 Intertie Funding Partners". Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  38. ↑ Transportation Improvement Board, Benton County (June 2008). "Preliminary Funding: Benton County CR 397 Juristidiction Transfer Request". Retrieved October 7, 2008.
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