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State Route 526 (Washington)
Encyclopedia
State Route 526, commonly known as SR 526, Casino Freeway, Boeing Freeway or Highway 526, is a state highway in the U.S. state
of Washington. It is 4.52 miles (7.3 km) in length and runs from Mukilteo
in the west to Everett
in the east. It serves as a vital connection to Boeing's Largest Manufacturing facility at Paine Field
, as well as Whidbey Island
. It is often called the Casino Freeway because it is paralleled by Casino Rd. for much of the route, and prior to the construction of the freeway, Casino Rd. occupied much of the right-of-way. Also, partly-finished Boeing 747s use SR 526 to cross.
in Mukilteo and climbs an extremely steep hill to an intersection with State Route 525 Spur. The route makes a turn on to the freeway portion and squeezes between a gulch
and the primary runway
at Paine Field
. The freeway passes under a taxiway
between two sections of Boeing's Everett Plant and has an interchange
with Airport Rd. The freeway continues along the front of the Boeing plant, the largest building in the world, to Seaway Blvd. the main access road to the Boeing facility. The freeway expands by a single lane and continues to an interchange with Evergreen Way, while a left-hand exit for I-5 north separates from the freeway under the overpass. On the other side, another lane is added as an exit to I-5 and an HOV lane to I-5 south. The freeway ends at a traffic signal at the northern terminus of both SR 99
and SR 527
.
, SR 526 was SSH 1I from Mukilteo
to Everett
. The rest of SSH 1I became SR 525
.
Prior to the completion of the current freeway alignment in the 1980s, SR 526 followed the course of 5th St. in Mukilteo and Mukilteo Blvd. and 41st Street in Everett. While the names may change, it is in fact a single highway. The former terminus of SR 526 in Everett was at the interchange between I-5 and SR 99
(now the 41st Street & Broadway interchange with I-5, also known as Exit 192)
When Boeing
expanded their factory in the early 1990s, the state of Washington required that Boeing pay for upgrades to the connection between SR 526 and I-5. 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. Additional upgrades included an HOV
queue lane for the I-5 southbound on-ramp, and the construction of sound walls along the freeway.
Recent and future improvements include expansion of the interchange with Evergreen Way, realignment with Washington State Route 525 Spur, and addition of HOV lanes.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington. It is 4.52 miles (7.3 km) in length and runs from Mukilteo
Mukilteo, Washington
Mukilteo , which means "good camping ground", is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 20,254 at the 2010 census. It is on the shore of the Puget Sound, and is the site of a Washington State Ferries terminal linking it to Clinton, on Whidbey Island.Mukilteo is...
in the west to Everett
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
in the east. It serves as a vital connection to Boeing's Largest Manufacturing facility at Paine Field
Paine Field
Paine Field, also known as Snohomish County Airport is a public airport located in unincorporated Snohomish County, between Mukilteo and Everett, Washington...
, as well as Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island is one of nine islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is located about north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington...
. It is often called the Casino Freeway because it is paralleled by Casino Rd. for much of the route, and prior to the construction of the freeway, Casino Rd. occupied much of the right-of-way. Also, partly-finished Boeing 747s use SR 526 to cross.
Route description
SR 526 starts at an intersection with State Route 525State Route 525 (Washington)
State Route 525, commonly abbreviated as SR 525, is a state highway in the U.S. state of Washington. It extends almost from Lynnwood in the south to an area near Keystone in the north, not counting a portion that is carried by the Washington State Ferries run from Mukilteo on the mainland to...
in Mukilteo and climbs an extremely steep hill to an intersection with State Route 525 Spur. The route makes a turn on to the freeway portion and squeezes between a gulch
Gulch
A gulch is a deep V-shaped valley formed by erosion. It may contain a small stream or dry creek bed and is usually larger in size than a gully. Occasionally, sudden intense rainfall may produce flash floods in the area of the gulch....
and the primary runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
at Paine Field
Paine Field
Paine Field, also known as Snohomish County Airport is a public airport located in unincorporated Snohomish County, between Mukilteo and Everett, Washington...
. The freeway passes under a taxiway
Taxiway
A taxiway is a path on an airport connecting runways with ramps, hangars, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have hard surface such as asphalt or concrete, although smaller airports sometimes use gravel or grass....
between two sections of Boeing's Everett Plant and has an interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
with Airport Rd. The freeway continues along the front of the Boeing plant, the largest building in the world, to Seaway Blvd. the main access road to the Boeing facility. The freeway expands by a single lane and continues to an interchange with Evergreen Way, while a left-hand exit for I-5 north separates from the freeway under the overpass. On the other side, another lane is added as an exit to I-5 and an HOV lane to I-5 south. The freeway ends at a traffic signal at the northern terminus of both SR 99
State Route 99 (Washington)
State Route 99, abbreviated SR 99, commonly called Highway 99, is a numbered state highway in the U.S. state of Washington extending just under from Fife in the south to Everett in the north, with a gap in Tukwila.-Southern division:...
and SR 527
State Route 527 (Washington)
State Route 527 is a state highway in Snohomish County, of the U.S. state of Washington. It extends north from I-405 in the city of Bothell, Washington, to an interchange with Interstate 5 , SR 99, and SR 526 in Everett, Washington...
.
History
Prior to the 1964 renumbering1964 state highway renumbering (Washington)
In 1963, a law was passed authorizing a new numbering for sign routes. In 1970 the legislative definitions were changed to use the sign route numbers but renamed state routes...
, SR 526 was SSH 1I from Mukilteo
Mukilteo, Washington
Mukilteo , which means "good camping ground", is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 20,254 at the 2010 census. It is on the shore of the Puget Sound, and is the site of a Washington State Ferries terminal linking it to Clinton, on Whidbey Island.Mukilteo is...
to Everett
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
. The rest of SSH 1I became SR 525
State Route 525 (Washington)
State Route 525, commonly abbreviated as SR 525, is a state highway in the U.S. state of Washington. It extends almost from Lynnwood in the south to an area near Keystone in the north, not counting a portion that is carried by the Washington State Ferries run from Mukilteo on the mainland to...
.
Prior to the completion of the current freeway alignment in the 1980s, SR 526 followed the course of 5th St. in Mukilteo and Mukilteo Blvd. and 41st Street in Everett. While the names may change, it is in fact a single highway. The former terminus of SR 526 in Everett was at the interchange between I-5 and SR 99
State Route 99 (Washington)
State Route 99, abbreviated SR 99, commonly called Highway 99, is a numbered state highway in the U.S. state of Washington extending just under from Fife in the south to Everett in the north, with a gap in Tukwila.-Southern division:...
(now the 41st Street & Broadway interchange with I-5, also known as Exit 192)
When Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
expanded their factory in the early 1990s, the state of Washington required that Boeing pay for upgrades to the connection between SR 526 and I-5. 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
State Route 527 (Washington)
State Route 527 is a state highway in Snohomish County, of the U.S. state of Washington. It extends north from I-405 in the city of Bothell, Washington, to an interchange with Interstate 5 , SR 99, and SR 526 in Everett, Washington...
in order to connect to I-5 north. Additional upgrades included an HOV
HOV
HOV may refer to:* High-occupancy vehicle lane* Ørsta-Volda Airport, Hovden in Hovden, Norway* Hovig* A small street gang located in Naperville* see Hov...
queue lane for the I-5 southbound on-ramp, and the construction of sound walls along the freeway.
Recent and future improvements include expansion of the interchange with Evergreen Way, realignment with Washington State Route 525 Spur, and addition of HOV lanes.
Exit list
The entire route is in Snohomish County.| Location | Mile | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mukilteo Mukilteo, Washington Mukilteo , which means "good camping ground", is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 20,254 at the 2010 census. It is on the shore of the Puget Sound, and is the site of a Washington State Ferries terminal linking it to Clinton, on Whidbey Island.Mukilteo is... |
0.00 | , Whidbey Island Ferry | |
| 0.40 | |||
| Everett Everett, Washington Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and... |
0.97 | Boeing Tour Center | |
| West end of freeway | |||
| 1.43 | Airport Road – Paine Field Paine Field Paine Field, also known as Snohomish County Airport is a public airport located in unincorporated Snohomish County, between Mukilteo and Everett, Washington... |
||
| 1.96 | Seaway Boulevard | ||
| 3.54 | Evergreen Way | ||
| 4.52 | – Vancouver, BC, Seattle | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |
| 4.45 | At-grade intersection At-grade intersection An at-grade intersection is a junction at which two or more transport axes cross at the same level .-Traffic management:With areas of high or fast traffic, an at-grade intersection normally requires a traffic control device such as a stop sign, traffic light or railway signal to manage conflicting... |
||
| 4.52 | Continuation beyond I-5/SR 99 | ||