State Route 119 (SR 119) is a 10.93-mile-long (17.59 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Washington, serving Lake Cushman in Mason County within Olympic National Forest. The highway, known locally as Lake Cushman Road, travels northwest into the Olympic Mountains from U.S. Route 101 (US 101) in Hoodsport to Lake Cushman and ends at a gravel road east of the entrance to Olympic National Park on Forest Highway 24 (FFH-24). A gravel road connecting Lake Cushman to the state highway system has existed since the late 1950s and was codified into the current state highway system in 1991, prior to being completely paved by 1999.
 State Route 119 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Cushman Road | ||||
 SR 119 is highlighted in red. | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Auxiliary route of US 101 | ||||
| Maintained by WSDOT | ||||
| Length | 10.93 mi[1] (17.59 km) | |||
| Existed | 1991[2]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  US 101 in Hoodsport | |||
| North end |  FH 24 in Olympic National Forest | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Washington | |||
| Counties | Mason | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Route description
editSR 119 begins at an intersection with US 101 in the unincorporated community of Hoodsport, located on the Hood Canal in Mason County. The highway travels west along Finch Creek as Lake Cushman Road into the Olympic Mountains and passes through Hoodsport Community Trail Park, a former state park.[3] SR 119 continues north along the coast of Lake Cushman and Big Creek into Olympic National Forest, where it begins a concurrency with FFH-24 on Staircase Road heading northwest.[4] The concurrent highways travel west along Lake Cushman as SR 119 ends at the entrance to Olympic National Park and the end of pavement.[1][5]
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 between 340 and 2,600 vehicles per day used the highway, mostly on the shores of Lake Cushman.[6]
History
editA two-lane gravel road connecting Lake Cushman to Hoodsport was first constructed in the late 1950s as a basic gravel road,[7] later upgraded to a paved roadway between Hoodsport and Big Creek Campground by 1965.[8] The highway between Hoodsport and the boundary of Olympic National Park was transferred to state control by Mason County.[9] It was incorporated into the state highway system in 1991 as SR 119, a child route of US 101,[2][10] and the last segment between Big Creek and the park boundary was paved in 1999.[11]
Major intersections
editThe entire highway is in Mason County.
| Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoodsport | 0.00 | 0.00 | US 101 – Shelton, Port Angeles | Southern terminus | |
| Olympic National Forest | 9.28 | 14.93 |  FH 24 east (Staircase Road) | South end of FFH 24 overlap | |
| 10.93 | 17.59 |  FH 24 west (Staircase Road) | Northern terminus, north end of FFH 24 overlap | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
edit- ^ a b c Strategic Planning Division (January 25, 2013). State Highway Log Planning Report 2012, SR 2 to SR 971 (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. pp. 1036–1037. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
- ^ a b "47.17.223: State route No. 119". Revised Code of Washington. Washington State Legislature. 1991. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
- ^ Mueller, Marge; Mueller, Ted (2004). "The Olympic Peninsula". Washington State Parks: A Complete Recreation Guide. The Mountaineers Books. p. 61. ISBN 9780898868937. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
- ^ "Wilderness Campsite Information" (PDF) (Map). Olympic National Park. United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
- ^ "State Route 119" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
- ^ Staff (2011). "2011 Annual Traffic Report" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. p. 139. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
- ^ "Four Drown As Auto Plunges Into Lake". The Dispatch. Lexington, North Carolina. February 17, 1958. p. 2. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
- ^ Seattle, 1965 (JPG) (Map). 1:250,000. United States Geological Survey. 1965. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
- ^ "Mason County Resolution 40-92" (PDF). Mason County Board of County Commissioners. March 31, 1992. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
- ^ Washington State Highways, 2011–2012 (PDF) (Map). 1:842,000. Washington State Department of Transportation. 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
- ^ "Town fights blight with Oyster Bite". Shelton-Mason County Journal. April 15, 1999. p. 24. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
