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State Route 108 (Washington)
Encyclopedia
State Route 108 is a state highway in Grays Harbor
and Mason counties, of the U.S. state of Washington. It extends 20.67 miles (33.27 km) from SR 8 in the city of McCleary
, east to an interchange with U.S. Route 101
(US 101) in Kamilche
. The route serves as a bypass
and connects McCleary with Shelton
, and Port Angeles
.
The highway formerly was Secondary State Highway 9D (SSH 9D) from 1937 until 1964, which ran from McCleary to Kamilche. SR 108 was also closed in late October 2008 because of a project to remove a railroad crossing owned by the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad
.
and connects McCleary with Shelton
, and Port Angeles
. WSDOT has found that more than 11,000 motorists utilize the road daily before the interchange with US 101 based on average annual daily traffic (AADT) data.
SR 108 starts at an intersection with SR 8 west of Downtown McCleary. From the intersection, the road briefly goes north before turning east onto Simpson Avenue into Downtown McCleary. Simpson Avenue goes into McCleary and comes to a 3-way intersection
with Main Street at Beerbower Park. SR 108 then turns onto Main Street and becomes Summit Road, passing Lake Clara before leaving Downtown McCleary. After passing Hillgrove, the highway enters McCleary Junction and turns northeast to parallel the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad
.
At the intersection with Elma Hicklin Road, the road stops paralleling the railroad and continues northeast into Mason County. In Stimson, the railroad starts to parallel the highway, but after that, the railroad curves back, and stops paralleling SR 108. North of Forbes, the highway crosses the railroad and then enters Kamilche, where the road ends at an interchange with US 101.
When the Primary and Secondary Highways were formed in 1937, the current SR 108 became Secondary State Highway 9D (SSH 9D). SSH 9D became SR 108 in 1964 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.
In October 2008, a project to remove an old railroad crossing closed SR 108 for 24 hours near the Little Creek Casino. The railroad crossing was owned by the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad
, currently a division of RailAmerica
. The railroad crosses SR 108 on its way east from Elma
to Shelton
. The closure caused motorists to use SR 8 and US 101
, a 22.54 miles (36.27 km) long detour. The railroad was formerly part of the BNSF Railway
.
Grays Harbor County, Washington
Grays Harbor County is a county in the state of Washington, in the United States of America. As of 2010, the population was 72,797. The county seat is at Montesano, and its largest city is Aberdeen. The county is named after a large estuarine bay near its southwestern corner...
and Mason counties, of the U.S. state of Washington. It extends 20.67 miles (33.27 km) from SR 8 in the city of McCleary
McCleary, Washington
McCleary is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,653 on April 1, 2010.-History:Henry McCleary came to the land in 1897, building two sawmills and a door manufacturing company. He sold the land and the companies to Simpson Logging Company. On January 9,...
, east to an interchange with U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101 in Washington
In the U.S. state of Washington, U.S. Route 101 is the westernmost state highway, serving the Olympic Peninsula. It runs from the Astoria-Megler Bridge north to the cities of Raymond, Aberdeen, Hoquiam, and Forks before turning east at the small community of Beaver to the most northern point of the...
(US 101) in Kamilche
Kamilche, Washington
Kamilche also known as Squaxin Island Tribe is an unincorporated community in Mason County, Washington, USA.Primarily a farm area, Kamilche is also the home to the Squaxin Indian Tribe. It is at the crossroads of U.S. Route 101 and State Route 108...
. The route serves as a bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
and connects McCleary with Shelton
Shelton, Washington
Shelton is the county seat, of Mason County, Washington, United States. Shelton is the westernmost city on Puget Sound. The population was 9,834 at the 2010 census. In terms of population, the city is ranked 161 out of approximately 500 municipalities in Washington...
, and Port Angeles
Port Angeles, Washington
Port Angeles is a city in and the county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 19,038 at the 2010 census. The area's harbor was dubbed Puerto de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles by Spanish explorer Francisco de Eliza in 1791, but by the mid-19th century the name had...
.
The highway formerly was Secondary State Highway 9D (SSH 9D) from 1937 until 1964, which ran from McCleary to Kamilche. SR 108 was also closed in late October 2008 because of a project to remove a railroad crossing owned by the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad
Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad
The Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad is headquartered in Elma, Washington. The company began operations on August 30, 1997, when the line was purchased from the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway by the ParkSierra Railgroup...
.
Route description
SR 108 runs 11.96 miles (19.25 km) east from SR 8 in McCleary to an interchange with US 101 in Kamilche. The route serves as a bypassBypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
and connects McCleary with Shelton
Shelton, Washington
Shelton is the county seat, of Mason County, Washington, United States. Shelton is the westernmost city on Puget Sound. The population was 9,834 at the 2010 census. In terms of population, the city is ranked 161 out of approximately 500 municipalities in Washington...
, and Port Angeles
Port Angeles, Washington
Port Angeles is a city in and the county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 19,038 at the 2010 census. The area's harbor was dubbed Puerto de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles by Spanish explorer Francisco de Eliza in 1791, but by the mid-19th century the name had...
. WSDOT has found that more than 11,000 motorists utilize the road daily before the interchange with US 101 based on average annual daily traffic (AADT) data.
3-way junction
A 3-way junction is a type of road junction with three arms. A Y junction generally has 3 arms of equal size...
with Main Street at Beerbower Park. SR 108 then turns onto Main Street and becomes Summit Road, passing Lake Clara before leaving Downtown McCleary. After passing Hillgrove, the highway enters McCleary Junction and turns northeast to parallel the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad
Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad
The Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad is headquartered in Elma, Washington. The company began operations on August 30, 1997, when the line was purchased from the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway by the ParkSierra Railgroup...
.
At the intersection with Elma Hicklin Road, the road stops paralleling the railroad and continues northeast into Mason County. In Stimson, the railroad starts to parallel the highway, but after that, the railroad curves back, and stops paralleling SR 108. North of Forbes, the highway crosses the railroad and then enters Kamilche, where the road ends at an interchange with US 101.
History
Washington State Department of Transportation
The Washington State Department of Transportation , was established in 1905. The agency, led by a Secretary and overseen by the Governor, is a Washington governmental agency that constructs, maintains, and regulates the use of the state's transportation infrastructure...
(WSDOT) replaced the previous system of Primary and Secondary Highways with a new system called State Routes
State highways in Washington
In the U.S. state of Washington, the Washington State Department of Transportation maintains a network of over 7000 miles of state highways, including all Interstate and U.S. Highways that pass through the state. The system comprises 8.5% of the state's public road mileage, but carries over half...
, which is still in use today.
In October 2008, a project to remove an old railroad crossing closed SR 108 for 24 hours near the Little Creek Casino. The railroad crossing was owned by the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad
Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad
The Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad is headquartered in Elma, Washington. The company began operations on August 30, 1997, when the line was purchased from the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway by the ParkSierra Railgroup...
, currently a division of RailAmerica
RailAmerica
RailAmerica, Inc., based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada....
. The railroad crosses SR 108 on its way east from Elma
Elma, Washington
Elma is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. The population was 3,107 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Elma is located at ....
to Shelton
Shelton, Washington
Shelton is the county seat, of Mason County, Washington, United States. Shelton is the westernmost city on Puget Sound. The population was 9,834 at the 2010 census. In terms of population, the city is ranked 161 out of approximately 500 municipalities in Washington...
. The closure caused motorists to use SR 8 and US 101
U.S. Route 101 in Washington
In the U.S. state of Washington, U.S. Route 101 is the westernmost state highway, serving the Olympic Peninsula. It runs from the Astoria-Megler Bridge north to the cities of Raymond, Aberdeen, Hoquiam, and Forks before turning east at the small community of Beaver to the most northern point of the...
, a 22.54 miles (36.27 km) long detour. The railroad was formerly part of the BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
.
Major intersections
| County | Location | Mile | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grays Harbor Grays Harbor County, Washington Grays Harbor County is a county in the state of Washington, in the United States of America. As of 2010, the population was 72,797. The county seat is at Montesano, and its largest city is Aberdeen. The county is named after a large estuarine bay near its southwestern corner... |
McCleary McCleary, Washington McCleary is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,653 on April 1, 2010.-History:Henry McCleary came to the land in 1897, building two sawmills and a door manufacturing company. He sold the land and the companies to Simpson Logging Company. On January 9,... |
0.00 | Western terminus | |
| Mason | Kamilche Kamilche, Washington Kamilche also known as Squaxin Island Tribe is an unincorporated community in Mason County, Washington, USA.Primarily a farm area, Kamilche is also the home to the Squaxin Indian Tribe. It is at the crossroads of U.S. Route 101 and State Route 108... |
11.96 | Eastern terminus |