State Route 526 marker

State Route 526

Boeing Freeway
A map of Snohomish County with SR 526 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of I-5
Maintained by WSDOT
Length4.52 mi[1] (7.27 km)
Existed1964[2]–present
Tourist
routes		 Cascade Loop Scenic Byway
Major junctions
West end SR 525 in Mukilteo
East end I-5 / SR 99 / SR 527 in Everett
Location
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountySnohomish
Highway system
← SR 525→ SR 527

State Route 526 (SR 526), also known as the Boeing Freeway, is a state highway in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The east–west highway travels 4.52 miles (7.27 km) and connects SR 525 in Mukilteo to Interstate 5 (I-5) in southern Everett. The highway serves the Boeing Everett Factory and Paine Field; it also serves as a main route to the city of Mukilteo and the state-run ferry to Whidbey Island.

SR 526 was established during the 1964 state highway renumbering as the successor to Secondary State Highway 1I (SSH 1I) between Mukilteo and Everett. Its original route followed a wagon road traveling along Possession Sound that opened in 1914; it was moved onto its current route in 1967 after Boeing announced its intention to build a factory in Everett for its 747 airliner.

Route description

SR 526 westbound in Everett

SR 526 begins as 84th Street Southwest at a signalized intersection with SR 525, named the Mukilteo Speedway, at Nelsons Corner in Mukilteo. The highway travels east through a residential neighborhood, heading towards an intersection with Paine Field Boulevard, signed as SR 525 Spur, at the Future of Flight Aviation Center and Paine Field. SR 526 turns northeast as the four-lane continuation of Paine Field Boulevard, curving north around the north–south runway of Paine Field and south of Japanese Gulch, into the city of Everett. The highway becomes the controlled-access Boeing Freeway and passes under the Boeing Access Road, a taxiway that connects the Boeing Everett Factory to Paine Field.[3] SR 526 continues east and intersects Airport Road in a diamond interchange and Seaway Boulevard in a semi-directional T interchange, the main access roads to Paine Field and the Boeing factory, respectively, before widening to six lanes as it approaches its eastern terminus, an interchange with I-5.[4][5] The freeway travels through a diamond interchange with Evergreen Way, located east of a pedestrian bridge over SR 526 and south of Cascade High School, where traffic heading towards I-5 northbound on a left directional exit and traffic heading towards I-5 southbound splits into two lanes, a normal lane and a high-occupancy vehicle lane (HOV lane).[6] SR 526 continues east, briefly paralleling the Interurban Trail,[7] before the freeway travels towards I-5 on flyover ramps and the highway terminates at the northern terminus of SR 99 and the northern terminus of SR 527.[8][9][10]

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 2013, WSDOT calculated that the busiest section of SR 526 was its interchange with Evergreen Way, carrying 75,000 vehicles, while the least busiest section of the highway was its western terminus at SR 525, carrying 8,500 vehicles.[11] SR 526 is designated as part of the National Highway System for its whole length,[12] classifying it as important to the national economy, defense, and mobility.[13] WSDOT designates the entire route of SR 526 as a Highway of Statewide Significance,[14] which includes highways that connect major communities in the state of Washington.[15]

History

SR 526 was established during the 1964 state highway renumbering as the successor to SSH 1I between Mukilteo and Everett. The highways were preceded by the Mukilteo-Everett wagon road that was opened on August 14, 1914, traveling east along Possession Sound between Mukilteo and Everett, later renamed to Mukilteo Boulevard during the 1920s.[16] The boulevard route had previously been surveyed in 1882 for a wagon road connecting Mukilteo to Lowell (now part of Everett) by the county government.[17] SSH 1I was designated in 1937 along the route of Mukilteo Boulevard and a new highway connecting Mukilteo to U.S. Route 99 (US 99) in Lynnwood,[18] traveling in a 10.63-mile (17.11 km) circular arc.[19][20] SSH 1I was split into SR 525 from Lynnwood to Mukilteo and SR 526 from Mukilteo to Everett during the 1964 state highway renumbering.[21][22] The eastern terminus of SR 526, an interchange with I-5 in Everett, was completed in February 1965 and later became the southern terminus of SR 529 until 1991.[23][24] The interchange was later converted to a single-point urban interchange in 2007 as part of a WSDOT project to improve I-5 through Everett.[25]

SR 526 was realigned onto its current alignment during construction of the Boeing factory in 1967.[26] The route initially used Casino Road, which was a two-lane road between Nelsons Corner in Mukilteo and Beverly Park in Everett; the eastern terminus was located at its intersection with US 99.[27][28] The road was plagued with severe congestion as it was the only major arterial serving the factory at the time; Boeing's selection of the factory site was contingent on the road's reconstruction into a four-lane highway.[29][30] However, the federal Economic Development Administration denied Everett's request for a funding grant towards the highway, leading the state to fund the construction despite facing a budget shortfall itself.[31][32] While the state waited for sufficient funding to commence the project, Boeing constructed a temporary four-lane highway across the factory and parallel to Casino Road in June 1967 to relieve congestion on the latter road; at the same time, the section of Casino Road between Nelsons Corner and the west end of the controlled-access highway section was expanded to four lanes.[32][33]

Construction of the permanent four-lane, 3.5-mile (5.6 km) controlled-access highway section commenced shortly after Peter Kiewit Sons won the contract in May 1968. The first part of the section, spanning 2 miles (3.2 km) between 20th Avenue West (now Seaway Boulevard) and US 99 (now Evergreen Way), opened on April 23, 1969; the whole section was opened by the end of the year.[34][35] The western end of Casino Road was truncated at Airport Road, which was extended from 100th Street Southwest to the highway in connecting it with Post Road (now SR 96) at its interchange with I-5; this allowed the excluded section of Casino Road to connect with the rest of the highway.[36][27] A ramp directly connecting northbound I-5 with westbound SR 526 was subsequently opened on November 13, 1970.[37]

When Boeing expanded their factory in the early 1990s to accommodate 777 production, the state of Washington required that Boeing pay for upgrades to the connection between SR 526 and I-5.[38][39] These upgrades resulted in a direct connection being built to connect SR 526 to I-5 north, whereas previously one had to travel south on SR 527 in order to connect to I-5 north.[40] Additional upgrades included an HOV queue lane for the I-5 southbound on-ramp, and the construction of sound walls along the freeway.

Until 2000, SR 526 and 84th St. in Mukilteo was in a continuous alignment.[41][42] When Paine Field Boulevard (SR 525 Spur) was completed in 2000, the alignment was changed to make the SR 526 expressway and Paine Field Boulevard continuous.[43] The new intersection with 84th St. facilitated the creation of a new Boeing museum, the Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour.

There were proposals in the 1980s and 1990s to realign SR 525 such that it would intersect with SR 526 near the head of Japanese Gulch. The realignment was intended to facilitate a new ferry dock in Mukilteo and to avoid the population center of the city. While the plans for the new dock were finalized, no plans were presented for such a connection, aside from the construction of SR 525 Spur.[41][42][44]

In response to the increased usage of SR 526, WSDOT considered a complete redesign of the route in 2017. However, after consulting with an advisory group composed of representatives from local city governments, transit agencies, and lobbying firms, WSDOT elected to make improvements to the section between Seaway Boulevard and the eastern terminus of the route. Such improvements include the construction of a new eastbound lane, the widening of the Seaway Boulevard eastbound on-ramp to the route, the addition of a ramp meter for the direct ramp to I-5 north, and the modification of the signal lights at the eastern terminus intersection with SR 99 and SR 527. The start of construction on the improvement project is slated for 2022, with work concluding in 2024.[45][46][47]

Exit list

The entire highway is in Snohomish County.

Locationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Mukilteo0.000.00 SR 525 (Mukilteo Speedway)Continues as 84th Street
0.400.64



 SR 525 Spur south (Paine Field Boulevard) to SR 525 south / Future of Flight Aviation Center
Everett0.801.29Boeing ReceivingAt-grade intersection
West end of freeway
1.452.33Airport Road – Paine Field
1.973.17Seaway Boulevard
3.545.70Evergreen Way
East end of freeway
4.527.27 I-5 – Vancouver BC, Seattle


 SR 99 south / SR 527 south / Broadway – Bothell		At-grade intersection, continues as SR 527
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. 1 2 Finch, Mark, ed. (March 4, 2014). State Highway Log: Planning Report 2013, SR 2 to SR 971 (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. pp. 1659–1662. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  2. ↑ "47.17.740: State route No. 526". Revised Code of Washington. Washington State Legislature. 1970. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  3. ↑ Gilmore, Susan (June 30, 2002). "Bumper to Bumper: Straight talk on S-curves, traffic lingo". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  4. ↑ "SR 526: Junction Airport Road" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. February 13, 2012. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  5. ↑ "SR 526: Junction Seaway Boulevard" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. February 13, 2012. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  6. ↑ "SR 526: Junction Evergreen Way" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. September 27, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  7. ↑ Interurban Trail (PDF) (Map). Community Transit. 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  8. ↑ "SR 5 - Exit 189: Junction SR 99/SR 526/SR 527" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. January 13, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  9. ↑ Google (May 28, 2014). "State Route 526" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  10. ↑ Washington State Highways, 2011–2012 (PDF) (Map). 1:842,000. Washington State Department of Transportation. 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  11. ↑ 2013 Annual Traffic Report (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. 2013. pp. 198–199. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  12. ↑ National Highway System: Marysville, WA (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. October 1, 2012. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  13. ↑ "What is the National Highway System?". Federal Highway Administration. September 26, 2012. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Transportation Commission List of Highways of Statewide Significance" (PDF). Washington State Transportation Commission. July 26, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  15. ↑ Lorenzo, Judy. "Highways of Statewide Significance". Washington State Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  16. ↑ Riddle, Margaret (December 30, 2007). "Hundreds celebrate the opening of the Mukilteo-to-Everett road (future Mukilteo Boulevard) on August 5, 1914". HistoryLink. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  17. ↑ Whitfield, William M. (1926). History of Snohomish County, Washington. Chicago: Pioneer Historical Publishing Company. p. 194. OCLC 8437390. Retrieved May 13, 2020 – via HathiTrust.
  18. ↑ Washington State Legislature (March 18, 1937). "Chapter 207: Classification of Public Highways". Session Laws of the State of Washington. Session Laws of the State of Washington (1937 ed.). Olympia, Washington: Washington State Legislature. p. 996. Secondary State Highway No. 1I; beginning at Everett on Primary State Highway No. 1, thence in a westerly direction by the most feasible route to Mukilteo, thence in a southeasterly direction by the most feasible route to a junction with Primary State Highway No. 1 in the vicinity south of Everett.
  19. ↑ Annual Traffic Report, 1960 (PDF) (Report). Washington State Highway Commission, Department of Highways. 1960. pp. 149–151, 154. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  20. ↑ Seattle, 1958 (JPG) (Map). 1:250,000. United States Geological Survey. 1958. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  21. ↑ Prahl, C. G. (December 1, 1965). "Identification of State Highways" (PDF). Washington State Highway Commission, Department of Highways. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  22. ↑ Seattle, 1965 (JPG) (Map). 1:250,000. United States Geological Survey. 1965. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  23. ↑ Dougherty, Phil (March 24, 2008). "Interstate 5 is completed from Everett to Seattle on February 3, 1965". HistoryLink. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  24. ↑ Washington House of Representatives (1991). "Chapter 342, Laws of 1991: State Highway Routes – Revisions To (House Bill 5801)". Washington State Legislature. Sec. 42. RCW 47.17.752 and 1971 ex.s. c 73 s 19 are each amended to read as follows: A state highway to be known as state route number 529 is established as follows: Beginning at a junction with state route number 5 in Everett, thence westerly and northerly through Everett to a junction with state route number 528 in Marysville.
  25. ↑ "I-5 41st Street Interchange" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. April 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  26. ↑ SR 525, Swamp Creek Interchange to SR 99 Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Washington State Department of Highways. January 31, 1975. p. 4. Retrieved November 29, 2021 – via Google Books.
  27. 1 2 United States Geological Survey (1968). Mukilteo quadrangle, Washington (Map). 1:24,000. 7.5 Minute Series. Washington, D.C.: United States Geological Survey. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  28. ↑ United States Geological Survey (1968). Everett quadrangle, Washington (Map). 1:24,000. 7.5 Minute Series. Washington, D.C.: United States Geological Survey. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Improvements To Casino Road Urged". The Seattle Times. March 17, 1967. p. C11. Retrieved November 29, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  30. ↑ Moody, Dick (May 13, 1966). "Everett Certain It Can Meet Boeing's Needs". The Seattle Times. p. 53. Retrieved November 30, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  31. ↑ Lane, Bob (October 29, 1966). "State Unable to Help At Paine Field, Says Solon". The Seattle Times. p. 13. Retrieved November 29, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  32. 1 2 "Highway Link at 747 Site". The Seattle Times. June 27, 1967. p. 20. Retrieved November 29, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  33. ↑ Barr, Robert A. (June 4, 1967). "Boeing-Built Road Will Ease Traffic Tie-ups at 747 Site". The Seattle Times. p. 17. Retrieved November 30, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  34. ↑ Barr, Robert A. (November 28, 1968). "Interchange Will Be Rebuilt For Everett, Boeing Traffic". The Seattle Times. p. 91. Retrieved November 29, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  35. ↑ "Casino Road Section Opens Wednesday". The Seattle Times. April 20, 1969. p. 14. Retrieved November 29, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  36. ↑ "Road to 747 Plant Opens". The Seattle Times. October 14, 1967. p. A. Retrieved November 29, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  37. ↑ "Interstate 5 section to be opened". The Seattle Times. November 9, 1970. p. C19. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  38. ↑ Tetra Tech Inca. "SR 526 and I-5 Interchange and Flyover Ramp". Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
  39. ↑ Shaw, Linda (July 30, 1991). "Boeing expansion to bring squeeze – Everett-area road work likely to lag". The Seattle Times. p. E1. Retrieved December 5, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  40. ↑ Matthee, Imbert (March 2, 1992). "Growing Paine: New Boeing plant brings jobs – and problems". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. B3. Retrieved December 5, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  41. 1 2 State Route 525, SR 526 to Mukilteo Ferry Terminal, City of Mukilteo, County of Snohomish, State of Washington, draft environmental impact statement/section 4 (f) evaluation, pursuant to Section 102 (2) (C), P.L. 91-190 (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. November 1980. OCLC 41678465. Retrieved January 5, 2021 – via Google Books.
  42. 1 2 Snohomish County Airport, Everett, Washington, Final Environmental Impact Statement (Report). Federal Aviation Administration. January 1983. OCLC 41689587. Retrieved January 5, 2021 – via Google Books.
  43. ↑ SR 525/Paine Field Boulevard improvement project, Snohomish County and Mukilteo, Washington: final environmental impact statement (Report). Vol. 1. Washington State Department of Transportation. May 1995. OCLC 43009840. Retrieved February 21, 2021 – via Google Books.
  44. ↑ Higgins, Mark (May 7, 1997). "New meets old in this waterfront town". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. D1. Retrieved November 29, 2021 – via NewsBank.
  45. ↑ Watanabe, Ben (December 7, 2020). "State proposes new Highway 526 eastbound lane, meters to I-5". The Everett Herald. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  46. ↑ "SR 526 - Corridor Improvements". Washington State Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  47. ↑ Sullivan, Chris (November 19, 2020). "WSDOT prepares to attack daily chokepoint in Everett on SR 526". KIRO Radio. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
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