Existed: 1964 – present East end: SR 26 near Vantage Constructed 1964 | South end: SR 24 near Desert Aire Length 45.48 km | |
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State Route 243 (SR 243) is a 28.26-mile (45.48 km) long state highway in the U.S. state of Washington, located entirely within Grant County and serving Desert Aire, Mattawa, Beverly and Vantage. The roadway, which roughly parallels the Columbia River, begins at SR 24 southwest of Desert Aire and continues north past the Priest Rapids Dam and Wanapum Dam to SR 26 south of Vantage. The road was established originally as a branch of Secondary State Highway 7C (SSH 7C) in 1957. In 1964, the SSH 7C branch became SR 243 even though the road between SR 24 and Beverly was not complete until 1981.
Contents
Map of WA-243, Washington, USA
Route description
State Route 243 (SR 243) begins at an intersection with SR 24 southwest of Desert Aire and north of the Hanford Site and Vernita Bridge. From the terminus, the highway travels west and northwest along the Columbia River to the Priest Rapids Dam and Desert Aire to turn north past Mattawa into Beverly. In Beverly, where it crosses railroad tracks formerly belonging to the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad west of the Beverly Railroad Bridge. After leaving Beverly, the roadway passes the Wanapum Dam to end at SR 26, south of its interchange with Interstate 90 (I-90). The busiest segment of SR 243 in 2007 was between SR 24 and Desert Aire, with a daily average of 4,600; in 1970, the same area was the busiest segment with a daily average of 950.
History
The first state-maintained highway to take the current route of SR 243 was a branch of Secondary State Highway 7C (SSH 7C), established in 1957; the branch ran from SSH 11A to SSH 7C. By 1963, only the Beverly–SSH 7C portion of the highway was completed; the 1964 highway renumbering renumbered SSH 7C to SR 26, the branch to SR 243 and SSH 11A to SR 24. SR 24, SR 26 and SR 243 were all partially incomplete until 1981.
Major intersections
The entire route is in Grant County.