Existed: 1964 – present East end: US 195 in Colfax Constructed 1964 East end US 195 in Colfax | West end: I‑90 near Vantage Length 215 km West end I‑90 near Vantage | |
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Counties Grant County, Washington, Adams County, Washington, Whitman County, Washington | ||
State Route 26 (SR 26) is a state highway in the Grant, Adams, and Whitman counties, in the U.S. state of Washington. It extends 133.61 miles (215.02 km) from Interstate 90 (I-90) east of the community of Vantage, east to U.S. Route 195 (US 195) in Colfax. SR 26 intersects SR 24, SR 17, US 395, and SR 261 before ending in Colfax. The route serves as a connector between Vantage, Royal City, Othello, Washtucna, La Crosse, and Colfax.
Contents
Map of WA-26, Washington, USA
SR 26 has its own spur route located in Colfax. SR 26 from Vantage to Washtucna was Secondary State Highway 7C (SSH 7C) from an unknown date until 1964, Washtucna to Dusty was SSH 11B, and from Dusty to US 195 in Colfax was US 295 from 1926 until 1967, when US 295 was removed from the system. That portion of SR 26 had also been part of State Road 3 from 1923 until 1937, when State Road 3 was replaced by Primary State Highway 3 (PSH 3). PSH 3 existed until 1964, when a highway renumbering occurred, which created SR 26.
Route description
SR 26 runs 133.61 miles (215.02 km) from I-90 east of Vantage, east to US 195 in Colfax. The route links Vantage, Royal City, Othello, Washtucna, La Crosse, and Colfax, and intersects four highways: SR 24, SR 17, US 395, and SR 261 before ending at US 195. WSDOT has found that about 5,400 motorists utilize the road daily at the intersection with First Street in Othello based on average annual daily traffic (AADT) data.
SR 26 starts at I-90 east of Vantage, about 0.36 miles (0.58 km) east of the Vantage Bridge, where I-90 travels over the Columbia River, and the highway starts at the opposite side of the river from Ginkgo/Wanapum State Park. From the interchange, SR 26 runs south to intersect SR 243 and then the highway turns east past Royal City and intersects SR 262 before entering the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge and leaving Grant County to enter Adams County.
After entering Adams County, SR 26 leaves the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge and goes east to Othello and intersects SR 24 and SR 17. From Othello, the road continues east to Hatton and intersects US 395 and SR 21. From the intersections, the highway goes eastward to Washtucna, where it intersects SR 261/SR 260 and dips to its southernmost point, about 4.3 miles (6.9 km) east of Washtucna, and then passes Hooper. The road then exits Adams County and enters Whitman County.
After entering Whitman County, SR 26 goes northeast towards La Crosse and the La Crosse Airport and then slightly turns east to Dusty. In Dusty, the road intersects the northern end of SR 127, former US 295 and then goes east and then northeast to Colfax and ends at US 195.
SR 26 Spur
SR 26 Spur runs 0.07 miles (0.11 km) from SR 26 west of Colfax, east to US 195 in Colfax. The route goes from SR 26, then crosses the Palouse River onto southbound US 195. WSDOT has found that 3,200 motorists utilize the road daily.
History
SR 26 became a state highway during the 1964 highway renumbering, in which the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) replaced the previous system of Primary and Secondary Highways with a new system called State Routes, which is still in use today. Before the Primary and Secondary system, SR 26 in 1923 was part of State Road 3, which later became U.S. Route 295 (US 295) in 1926. Later, in 1937, the route became parts of Secondary State Highway 11B (SSH 11B) from US 395, then known also as PSH 11, to PSH 3 / US 295 in Dusty, PSH 3 from Dusty to Colfax. SSH 7C from I-90, then known as PSH 7 and US 10, to US 395, then known also as PSH 11, was added at an unknown time. Those highways became SR 26 in 1964, and US 295 was later removed from the system of highways in 1967.
A couple of recent and current construction projects are occurring along SR 26. One of which, involves illuminating the highway's intersection with B SE, which was finished in 2008, and Reynolds Road, to be done in 2009, west and east of Othello, respectively. Another project added a left turn lane at a dangerous intersection between SR 26 and South Thacker Road west of Othello. The most major of the recent projects include the addition and demolition of ramps at the I-90 interchange. Another minor project, a bridge fixing project, was completed in 2007, located northeast of Dusty and southwest of Colfax.