Primary State Highway 3 (Washington)

Infobox road
state=WA
type=PSH
route=3
alternate_name=Inland Empire Highway
maint=
section=

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length_mi=
length_round=
length_ref=
length_notes=
established=1937
decommissioned=1964
direction_a=West
terminus_a=
junction=
direction_b=East
terminus_b=BC 395 at Canadian border
previous_type=PSH
previous_route=2
next_type=PSH
next_route=4

Primary State Highway 3, the Inland Empire Highway, was a highway in the state of Washington, U.S.A., from 1937 to 1964. Beginning near Cle Elum, the Inland Empire Highway took a long, curved route through Yakima and the Tri-Cities in south central Washington before turning north and following the Washington-Idaho state line, crossing through Spokane from south to north, and finally terminating at the Canadian border near Grand Forks, British Columbia.

PSH 3 was originally established as "State Road No. 3" by the state legislature in stages between 1907 and 1915. [http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/History/stateroads1893-1935.pdf State Roads As Established by Legislature, 1893 to 1935] (PDF)] State Road No. 3 would later share its routing with portions of four auto trails:
*Between Cle Elum and Spokane, the road was part of the original southern routing of the Yellowstone Trail.
*Between Toppenish and Spokane, the road was part of the Theodore Roosevelt International Highway.
*Between Toppenish and Dodge, the road was part of the Evergreen Highway.
*Between Dodge and Spokane, the road was part of the California Banff "B" Line.

US Route Concurrencies

State Road No. 3 was designated Primary State Highway 3 by the state legislature when it created the primary and secondary state highways systems in 1937. Over the next 27 years it would be overlapped with no fewer than seven U.S. Highways over its route: US 10, US 97, and US 410 on different parts of the east-west leg; and US 2, US 195, US 295, and US 395 on different parts of the north-south leg.

PSH 3 ran concurrent with US 10 from Cle Elum to Ellensburg. PSH 3 ran concurrent with US 97 from Ellensburg to Union Gap. PSH 3 ran concurrent with US 410 from Yakima to Dodge. PSH 3 ran concurrent with US 295 from Dodge to Colfax. PSH 3 ran concurrent with US 195 from Colfax to the north end of US 195 near Spokane. PSH 3 ran concurrent with both US 2 and US 395 from the northern terminus of US 195 to the current US 2-US 395 split north of Spokane. PSH 3 continued its concurrency with US 395 from the US 2 split to the U.S.-Canada border. PSH 3 also overlapped US 10 from US 195 to the US 2, US 10, and US 395 junction in Spokane. PSH 3 also overlapped US 395 for a short segment of US 410 near the Tri-Cities.

1964 Highway Renumbering

Highways in Washington were renumbered in 1964, and PSH 3 was removed from the state highway system. Today, PSH 3 between Cle Elum and Ellensburg is part of Interstate 90; between Ellensburg and Kennewick, Interstate 82; between the Tri-Cities and Dodge, US 12 (US 410); between Dodge and Dusty, SR 127 (US 295); between Dusty and Colfax, SR 26 (US 295); between Colfax and Spokane, US 195; and between Spokane and the Canadian border (and for a short distance in the Tri-Cities), US 395.

"Note: US 12 replaced most of US 410 in 1967. US 295 was decommissioned in 1968."

Secondary State Highways

PSH 3 had 19 designated secondary branches; see secondary state highways as branches of Primary State Highway 3.

References

See also

*Primary State Highways (Washington)

External links

* [http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/hwysofwastate/psh003.html Highways of Washington State]