Yakima, WA
Overview
An overview of the Interstate and U.S. Highways serving the city of Yakima, Washington.
Routes
Interstate 82
Interstate 82 opened between Ellensburg and Yakima in 1971 and between Union Gap and Zillah by November 1981.1 The freeway replaced the routing of U.S. 97 northward to I-90 and southward to Union Gap. U.S. 12 follows the freeway from Berglund eastward to the Tri-Cities and Interstate 182.
Former Business Loop I-82
Business Loop I-82 was a short lived route joining the Yakima City Center with the freeway to the east. Signs for the route were posted until 1999, with one remaining as of 2016.
Beginning at Exit 33 of Interstate 82, the loop followed Yakima Avenue west to N 6th Street and the couplet of E Lincoln Avenue (westbound) and E B Street (eastbound). The route turned northward along original U.S. 97 / North 1st Street for the return to Interstate 82 at Exit 31.
U.S. 12
U.S. 12 parallels the Naches River southeast from the census designated places of Eschbach and Gleed. Heading east into the city of Yakima, U.S. 12 upgrades into a limited access highway with exits for N 40th Avenue / Fruitvale Boulevard, N 16th Avenue and N 1st Street. The remainder of U.S. 12 overlaps with Interstate 82 southward to Union Gap.
U.S. 97
U.S. 97 overlaps with Interstate 82 from Union Gap northward to I-90 near Ellensburg. The highway is a four lane divided highway southeast from the separation with I-82 at Union Gap to Toppenish.
Former U.S. 97
U.S. 97 originally followed 1st Street through the Yakima City Center from Berglund to Union Gap. When Interstate 82 was completed through Yakima in 1971, U.S. 97 shifted onto an overlap with the freeway. The steel truss bridges over the Naches and Yakima Rivers for I-82 are the original spans for U.S. 97 converted for use on the limited access highway.
Former U.S. 410
U.S. 410 was replaced wholly by an extension of U.S. 12 westward from Clarkston to Grays Harbor in 1967 at the urging of a delegation of residents from the Tri-Cities area, Sunnyside, Yakima, Walla Walla and Grays Harbor. The effort was undertaken to provide South Washington with another national highway.2 The choice won out over an Oregon led proposal to have U.S. 12 follow the Columbia River west from Wallula.3
City Streets and Roads
Former U.S. 97 / 1st St - North (7 photos)
Former U.S. 97 / 1st St - South (17 photos)
Former U.S. 97 / Main St - South (9 photos)
Other Roads (6 photos)
Former U.S. 97 / 1st St - North
U.S. 97 joins I-82/U.S. 12 west via a wye interchange beyond a loop ramp for Main Street (old U.S. 97) north. A freeway ramp connects Interstate 82 west directly with Main Street ahead of Wide Hollow Creek. From there northbound motorists pass under a freeway-style sign bridge hosting a welcome sign for Union Gap. The assembly likely dates to when Interstate 82 was incomplete south of Union Gap. 08/28/06
Yakima Ridge rises as the backdrop on the North 1st Street approach to U.S. 12 west and I-82/U.S. 97. A parclo interchange joins the former Business Loop I-82 and U.S. 97 with the U.S. 12 freeway. 08/28/06
Wye interchanges connect North 1st Street (old U.S. 97) and the U.S. 12 freeway with adjacent I-82/U.S. 97. Interstate 82 links Yakima with Prosser and Richland to the southeast. 08/28/06
A loop ramp joins U.S. 12 west as the route leaves Yakima for Naches Valley and the town of Naches. SR 823 appears as the state route begins ahead and continues the original alignment of U.S. 97 into Selah. 08/28/06
U.S. 12 provides one of six routes across the Cascade Range in the state of Washington. The US route splits with the former U.S. 410 at Upper Naches Valley for a path westward through Rimrock and White Pass to Interstate 5 near Napavine. SR 410 follows a more northerly course through Chinook Pass and Greenwater to Enumclaw.<br /> SR 823 constitutes a 5.62 mile loop from Twin Bridges and U.S. 12 northward through Selah to SR 821 near Exit 26 of Interstate 82. 08/28/06
SR 823 follows a two lane roadway between the east and westbound roadways of I-82/U.S. 97 across the Naches and Yakima Rivers to Selah Road. Drivers may use either the state route or the freeway north to Exit 26 for Selah. 08/28/06
Business Loop I-82 originally merged onto the left side of I-82/U.S. 97 north ahead of the steel truss bridge over the Naches River. I-82/U.S. 97 overlap to Interstate 90 near Ellensburg. 08/28/06