Washington State Route 167

State Route 167 (SR 167) is a state highway in the Seattle metropolitan area of Washington state. It is commonly known as the Valley Freeway and serves the Green River Valley from Tacoma to Renton, primarily as a four-lane freeway. The 28-mile (45 km) highway begins in Tacoma at an interchange with Interstate 5 (I-5) and travels southeast to Puyallup as an undivided road. It then turns northeast onto a freeway and passes through interchanges with SR 512 in Puyallup and SR 410 in Sumner, continuing north through Auburn and Kent. After an interchange with I-405 in Renton, it terminates at an intersection with SR 900.

State Route 167
Valley Freeway
SR 167 is highlighted in red.
Route information
Auxiliary route of SR 410
Defined by RCW 47.17.330
Maintained by WSDOT
Length28.46 mi[1] (45.80 km)
Existed1964[2]–present
Major junctions
South end I-5 in Tacoma
 
North end SR 900 in Renton
Location
CountiesPierce, King
Highway system
← SR 166→ SR 169

Route description

SR 167 begins at an interchange with I-5 in Tacoma, adjacent to the Emerald Queen Casino and near the Puyallup Indian Tribe headquarters.[3] The interchange is fed by ramps leading to and from the Tacoma Dome area and Downtown Tacoma, with auxiliary ramps to East 28th Street and East Bay Street that connect to Portland Avenue East.[4] SR 167 travels southeast along the south bank of the Puyallup River as a four-lane undivided highway, passing through farmland and industrial areas. It then enters the city of Puyallup and traverses an auto row at the north edge of downtown before turning north onto Meridian Avenue near the commuter rail station.[5] SR 167 crosses the Puyallup River on a pair of bridges and turns east onto a freeway, where it begins a short concurrency with SR 161, which continues north on Meridian Avenue towards Federal Way.[6][7]

The four-lane freeway travels east over Milwaukee Avenue to a trumpet interchange with SR 512, where the concurrency with SR 161 ends. SR 167 gains a set of auxiliary lanes and enters a long curve to the north along the Puyallup River in Sumner, where it meets the west end of SR 410 near the city's train station. The highway turns north and follows a section of the Union Pacific Railroad through an industrial area along the White River in northern Sumner.[8][9] SR 167 continues under a bluff along the west side of the White River Valley and crosses into King County as it passes through the suburban towns of Pacific and Algona. The Interurban Trail begins to parallel the freeway in Pacific, but veers northeast in Algona to follow the Union Pacific Railroad.[6][10]

SR 167 then gains a set of high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes with variable rates of 50 cents to $9 for non-carpool and motorcycle traffic. The southbound HOT lane ends in Pacific, while the northbound lane begins in Auburn, forming a six-lane freeway.[11] It then passes The Outlet Collection shopping mall, served by interchanges with 15th Street Southwest and SR 18, an east–west freeway with connections to Federal Way and Covington.[7][12] SR 167 travels along Mill Creek and the Interurban Trail on the western side of downtown Auburn, passing the Emerald Downs racetrack and Auburn Municipal Airport, and traverses a rural part of the Green River Valley as it enters Kent.[6][13]

The freeway crosses over the Green River into downtown Kent and intersects SR 516, which continues west to Highline College and Des Moines and east to Covington and Maple Valley.[7] SR 167 turns northeast, crossing over the Interurban Trail and Union Pacific Railroad near the accesso ShoWare Center sports arena and the Maleng Regional Justice Center.[14] The freeway continues through an industrial area on the outskirts of downtown Kent and crosses over the BNSF Railway's Seattle Subdivision before turning north to follow the east edge of the Green River Valley.[8] SR 167 separates the Green River industrial area and the residential neighborhoods of Benson Hill and East Hill as it crosses into Renton near the Valley Medical Center at Carr Road.[12] The freeway reaches a cloverleaf interchange with I-405, which includes a direct access ramp from the HOT lanes to the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on I-405 heading north towards Bellevue.[15] SR 167 continues onto a six-lane section of Rainier Avenue, which passes northeast through a commercial area with car dealerships and big-box retailers.[16] The street bends northwest and crosses under a railroad viaduct before reaching SR 900 at Sunset Boulevard, where SR 167 terminates.[6][7]

The entire route of SR 167 is listed as part of the National Highway System, identifying routes that are important to the national economy, defense, and mobility, and the state's Highway of Statewide Significance program, recognizing its connection to major communities.[17][18] The highway is maintained by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), who conduct an annual survey of traffic volume that is expressed in terms of average annual daily traffic (AADT), a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. Average daily traffic volumes on SR 167 in 2016 ranged from a minimum of 8,400 at its southern terminus in Tacoma to a maximum of 129,000 at South 277th Street in Kent.[19] Approximately 8 percent of all traffic on the highway is freight, mainly serving industrial areas in the Green River Valley.[12]

History

Modern-day settlements in the area between Puyallup and Renton were established in the late 19th century along the Puget Sound Shore Railroad, which opened in 1885 as the first north–south railroad in the Puget Sound region.[20] A series of wagon roads following the railroad and the White River (later replaced by the Green River) in the valley were built within a decade.[21][22]

The corridor was proposed as an addition to Washington's state highway system as early as 1909 and was ultimately added in 1913 as part of the Pacific Highway, although most of this was then deleted in 1923.[23][24][25] The only portion kept was that between Auburn and Renton, which became part of State Road 5. The rest of the route (between Auburn and Tacoma) was added back to the state highway system two years later in 1925, also as a part of State Road 5.[26] This route was extended north along Rainier Avenue into Seattle in 1937.[27]

When Washington's current numbering system was developed with the 1964 renumbering, State Route 167 followed what is now State Route 164 from Enumclaw to Auburn before turning north towards Renton and Seattle. What is now SR 167 between Tacoma and Auburn was numbered U.S. Route 410 (later SR 410) between Tacoma and Sumner, and State Route 163 between Sumner and Auburn.[28] These highways were renumbered to their current designations in 1973.[29] The highway between Renton and Seattle was removed from the state highway system in 1991, although the law did not take effect until April 1, 1992.[30]

The Puyallup River bridge on Meridian Avenue was built in 1925 and twinned with the addition of a two-lane bridge for southbound traffic that opened in 1971.[31] The northbound truss bridge was replaced in 2015, with the original structure moved to a nearby plot of vacant land while awaiting a sale.[32]

The northern half of the Renton interchange with I-405 was altered in 2003 to separate weaving traffic through the use of a flyover ramp that leads into the southbound-to-southbound loop ramp.[33] The overloaded interchange with I-405 resulted in routine backups on I-405 as far as Tukwila to the west and the Kennydale Hill to the north. A larger overhaul was proposed as part of Referendum 51, which was rejected by voters in 2002.[34] A direct connection between the freeway's HOT lanes and the I-405 HOV lanes was constructed from 2016 to 2019, costing $197 million.[15]

Future

WSDOT has planned to convert the entire route in Pierce County to a freeway since the mid-20th century.[35][36] WSDOT is performing advance design and engineering work. The proposed highway would bypass the snarled traffic at Meridian Way in Puyallup and continue across Interstate 5 to SR 509 in the city of Fife. The project would construct a new six mile (10 km) freeway north of the Puyallup River and complete the partial interchange at Meridian Way (SR 161) with a Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI). The new freeway would be four lanes with adequate space for future HOV lanes. The interchange with I-5 would be a Diverging Diamond interchange, the 3rd in the state. The upgraded SR 167 would save time traveling from Tacoma to Puyallup, as the original highway is just a four-lane road with at-grade intersections and a speed limit of 50 mph (80 km/h). It would also, in theory, complete the gap of a bypass to I-5 between Renton and Tacoma. SR 512 currently provides a freeway bypass of I-5 between Puyallup and Lakewood (south of Tacoma).

The first component of the Puget Sound Gateway Project, a new bridge for 70th Avenue East over I-5 in Fife, began construction in 2020. The bridge will use 223-foot (68 m) girders, the longest to be installed in the U.S., and include a roundabout with SR 99.[37]

Exit list

All exits are unnumbered.

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
PierceTacoma0.000.00 I-5 to SR 16 – Olympia, Portland, SeattleSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
Puyallup6.5010.46 SR 161 north – Milton, EdgewoodSouth end of SR 161 overlap
South end of freeway
7.2311.64 SR 161 south / SR 512 west – Olympia, EatonvilleNorth end of SR 161 overlap
Sumner8.3013.36 SR 410 east – Sumner, Yakima
10.8817.5124th Street East, West Valley Highway
Pacific11.9319.208th Street – Pacific, Milton
King13.5221.76Ellingson Road – Algona, Pacific
Auburn15.0924.29 To SR 18 west / 15th Street Southwest
15.6125.12 SR 18 to I-5 – Auburn, Federal WayNo access from northbound SR 167 to westbound SR 18
17.0527.4415th Street Northwest – Auburn
Kent19.2130.92South 277th Street
20.9033.64 SR 516 (Willis Street) – Des Moines
22.6136.3984th Avenue South, North Central Avenue
23.6838.11South 212th Street
Renton25.7041.36South 180th Street, Southwest 41st Street, Southwest 43rd Street, East Valley Road
27.5644.35 I-405 to I-5 – Bellevue, Everett, Seattle
North end of freeway
28.4645.80 SR 900 (Sunset Boulevard / South 3rd Street)Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References
  1. Multimodal Planning Division (February 4, 2020). State Highway Log Planning Report 2019, SR 2 to SR 971 (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. pp. 1065–1082. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  2. "47.17.330: State route No. 167". Revised Code of Washington. Washington State Legislature. 1970 [revised 1979, 1991]. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  3. Glenn, Stacia (October 2, 2014). "Construction on northbound bridge over Puyallup River moving forward". The News Tribune. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  4. "SR 5 – Exit 135: Junction SR 167/Bay Street" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. September 20, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  5. Pierson, Neil (August 19, 2009). "What's in store for River Road?". The News Tribune.
  6. Google (August 4, 2020). "State Route 167" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  7. Washington State Department of Transportation (2014). Washington State Highways, 2014–2015 (PDF) (Map). 1:842,000. Olympia: Washington State Department of Transportation. Puget Sound inset. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  8. Rail Lines of Washington State (1:500K) (Map). Cartography by Esri. Washington State Department of Transportation. December 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  9. Needles, Allison (October 26, 2016). "Reconstruction project expands road in Sumner's industrial center". The Puyallup Herald. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  10. Regional Trails in King County (PDF) (Map). King County Parks and Recreation Division. 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  11. "New southbound SR 167 HOT Lane extension opens Dec. 17". Kent Reporter. December 7, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  12. "Corridor Sketch Summary – SR 167: King County (Pacific) to SR 900" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. September 21, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  13. City of Auburn Neighborhood Areas (PDF) (Map). City of Auburn. November 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  14. Hunter, Steve (December 23, 2008). "Traffic for new ShoWare center shouldn't cause fuss, officials say". Kent Reporter. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  15. Lindblom, Mike (February 18, 2019). "Renton's freeway carpool lanes make a $197 million connection". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  16. Reang, Putsata (May 14, 1997). "Renton: Is Jet City finally taking off?". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  17. National Highway System: Seattle, WA (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. May 9, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  18. "Transportation Commission List of Highways of Statewide Significance" (PDF). Washington State Transportation Commission. July 26, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 24, 2013. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  19. "2016 Annual Traffic Report" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. pp. 154–155. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  20. Armbruster, Kurt E. (Winter 1997–98). "Orphan Road: The Railroad Comes to Seattle" (PDF). Columbia Magazine. Vol. 11 no. 4. Washington State Historical Society. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  21. Washington: Tacoma Quadrangle (Topographic map). 1:125,000. United States Geological Survey. July 1897. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  22. Stein, Alan J. (September 23, 2001). "White River Valley (King County) — Thumbnail History". HistoryLink. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  23. Washington State Highway Commission (1909). Map of the State of Washington, Showing State Roads—Located and Proposed (Map). Olympia: Washington State Highway Commission. Retrieved August 17, 2020 – via Washington State Archives.
  24. Washington State Legislature (1913). "An act relating to public highways, classifying the same and naming and fixing the routes of certain state roads.". Session Laws of the State of Washington. Olympia, WA: State of Washington. 1913 chapter 65.
  25. Washington State Legislature (1923). "An act relating to, classifying, naming and fixing the routes of certain state highways, amending Section 6796, and repealing Sections 6791, 6792, 6793, 6794, 6795, 6797, 6798, 6799, 6800, 6801, 6802, 6803, 6804, 6805, 6806, 6808, 6809, 6811, 6812, 6813 and 6816 of Remington's Compiled Statutes.". Session Laws of the State of Washington. Olympia, WA: State of Washington. 1923 chapter 185.
  26. Washington State Legislature (1925). "An act relating to and establishing, classifying, naming and fixing the routes of certain state highways, and amending sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 14 and 15, Chapter 185 of the Laws of 1923, and Section 6810 of Remington's Compiled Statutes, and declaring that this act shall take effect immediately.". Session Laws of the State of Washington. Olympia, WA: State of Washington. 1925 chapter 26.
  27. Washington State Legislature (1937). "An act relating to public highways, creating and establishing, describing and designating the primary state highways of the State of Washington and declaring an emergency.". Session Laws of the State of Washington. Olympia, WA: State of Washington. 1937 chapter 190.
  28. Washington State Highway Commission, Identification of State Highways, December 1, 1965
  29. Session Laws of the State of Washington. 1973 (1st extraordinary session) chapter 151.
  30. Washington State Legislature (1991). "An act relating to state highway routes; amending RCW 47.17.115, 47.17.170, 47.17.225, 47.17.255, 47.17.305, 47.17.330, 47.17.370, 47.17.375, 47.17.410, 47.17.460, 47.17.517, 47.17.550, 47.17.615, 47.17.625, 47.17.630, 47.17.650, 47.17.660, 47.17.680, 47.17.695, 47.17.730, 47.17.752, 47.17.755, 47.17.824, 47.17.825, 42.17.830, 42.17.835, 47.17.855, 47.24.020, 47.39.020, 46.68.090, 82.36.025, 46.68.110, and 46.68.120; adding new sections to chapter 47.17 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 47.26 RCW; creating new sections; repealing RCW 47.17.245, 47.17.270, 47.17.415, 47.17.420, 47.17.450, 47.17.453, 47.17.555, 47.17.590, 47.17.600, 47.17.620, 47.17.700, and 47.17.810; making appropriations; providing effective dates; and declaring an emergency.". Session Laws of the State of Washington. Olympia, WA: State of Washington. 1991 chapter 342.
  31. Caldbick, John (August 3, 2017). "Meridian Street Bridge (Puyallup)". HistoryLink. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  32. Ruud, Candice (June 22, 2018). "This $1 million offer has a catch: Give forever home to decommissioned highway bridge". The News Tribune. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  33. Pryne, Eric (October 10, 2002). "New I-405 ramp may have short life span". The Seattle Times. p. A1.
  34. Singer, Natalie (October 16, 2002). "Eastside has most at stake with R-51". The Seattle Times. p. B1.
  35. "SR167 Tacoma to Edgewood new freeway". Washington Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  36. Tucker, Rob (July 13, 1999). "It's a go for 167's final link". The News Tribune. p. A1.
  37. Lindblom, Mike (August 27, 2020). "Overnight I-5 closures this weekend to deliver superlong bridge girders near Tacoma". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 29, 2020.

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