State Route 223 (SR 223) is a 3.81-mile (6.13 km) long state highway located entirely in Yakima County, Washington, United States. It has served the role of connecting the city of Granger to the county seat, Yakima via Interstate 82 and to SR 22 since its establishment in 1967, serving between 4,000 and 8,500 cars per day on average in 2009.
 State Route 223 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 A red line indicating SR 223 through Yakima County | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Auxiliary route of SR 22 | ||||
| Maintained by WSDOT | ||||
| Length | 3.80 mi[1] (6.12 km) | |||
| Existed | 1967[2]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  SR 22 near Toppenish | |||
| East end |   I-82 / US 12 in Granger | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Washington | |||
| County | Yakima | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Route description
editSR 223 begins at an at-grade intersection with SR 22, headed easterly over a level crossing with a BNSF Railway line through rural farmland. The highway turns northeasterly as it passes over the Yakima River and passes to the east of Hisey Park.[3] as it enters the city limits of Granger Continuing through town SR 223 crosses over another rail line before terminating at a diamond interchange with exit 58 on Interstate 82 (I-82).[4] Except for the last 0.39 mi (0.63 km) of the highway, the speed limit is posted as 55 miles per hour (89 km/h).[1]
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 2009, WSDOT calculated that as few as 4,300 cars traveled through the intersection at SR 22, and as many as 8,500 cars at the interchange with I-82.[5]
History
editThe rail line that SR 223 crosses has existed since at least 1910, originally belonging to the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway as part of their Yakima Valley Subdivision.[6][7] A bridge over the Yakima River at Granger was completed for the railroad and later remodeled for automobile traffic in 1919; it collapsed in 1942 and was replaced by a temporary structure that was impassible for trucks and other heavy vehicles.[8] SR 223 was completed in 1967 with the opening of a new Yakima River bridge and the Granger bypass was finished in 1969.[9][10] The highway was connected to I-82 in 1981,[11][12] two years after the opening of the freeway in 1979.[2] Two additional bridges are included on SR 223, including a 243.8-metre (800 ft) long concrete continuous box beam bridge carrying the highway over the Yakima River,[13] and an overpass over the BNSF Railway line (former Northern Pacific Railway) in Granger completed in 1969.[14]
Major intersections
editThe entire highway is in Yakima County. [15]
| Location[15] | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | 0.00 | 0.00 | SR 22 – Mabton, Toppenish | ||
| Granger | 3.73– 3.76 | 6.00– 6.05 | I-82 / US 12 – Yakima, Sunnyside, Richland | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
References
edit- ^ a b c "State Highway Log Planning Report 2009 SR 2 to SR 971" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. p. 1239. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
- ^ a b Stover (March 18, 1999). "Brothers Carry on Parents' Legacy of Hard Work, Service". Yakima Herald-Republic. The Seattle Times Company. pp. 2V–1. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
Fred Cardenas says construction of the State Route 223 bypass in 1967 followed by the opening of Interstate 82 in 1979
(subscription required) - ^ "Granger park fundraiser this weekend". Yakima Herald-Republic. The Seattle Times Company. July 13, 2010. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
- ^ "State Route 223" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
- ^ "2009 Annual Traffic Report" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. p. 161. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 16, 2010. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
- ^ BNSF Railway Northwest Division Timetable (3 ed.). BNSF Railway. April 26, 2006.
- ^ Zillah, Washington topographic quadrangle (Map). 1:125,000. United States Geological Survey. 1910. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
- ^ "Official Opening, Yakima River Bridge at Granger". Washington State Department of Highways. September 1967. p. 4. Retrieved September 8, 2018 – via WSDOT Library Digital Collections.
- ^ "Bridge To Be Dedicated". Sunnyside Daily Sun-News. September 7, 1967. p. 1. Retrieved September 29, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Granger Bypass—Highway 223". Washington Highway News. Washington State Department of Highways. September 1969. p. 6. OCLC 29654162. Retrieved September 8, 2018 – via WSDOT Library Digital Collections.
- ^ "0011788C0000000". National Bridge Inventory. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Retrieved October 24, 2010.
- ^ "0011788B0000000". National Bridge Inventory. FHWA. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
- ^ "0008095A0000000". National Bridge Inventory. FHWA. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
- ^ "0008576A0000000". National Bridge Inventory. FHWA. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
- ^ The Road Atlas (Map). 1 in ≈ 20 mi. Cartography by Rand McNally. Rand McNally. 2009. p. 109. § K12. ISBN 978-0-528-94219-8.
