| State: | WA |
| Type: | SR |
| Route: | 534 |
| Section: | 765 |
| Map: | Washington State Route 534.svg |
| Map Notes: | SR 534 is highlighted in red. |
| Length Mi: | 5.08 |
| Length Round: | 2 |
| Established: | 1964[1] |
| Direction A: | West |
| Direction B: | East |
| Spur Type: | I |
| Spur Of: | 5 |
| Previous Type: | SR |
| Previous Route: | 532 |
| Next Type: | SR |
| Next Route: | 536 |
State Route 534 (SR 534) is a short Washington state highway located in Skagit County. The 5.082NaN2 long route runs east from (I-5) in Conway to in Lake McMurray. The highway was first designated as a state-maintained highway in 1937, when it became (SSH 1H) as part of the creation of the Primary and secondary state highways; SSH 1H later became SR 534 during the 1964 highway renumbering.
SR 534 begins at an interchange with I-5 in Conway, located near the mouth of the Skagit River east of Fir Island. The highway is a continuation of the Pioneer Highway, which travels south from Conway to Stanwood. SR 534 travels east and passes an elementary school before it ascends from the Skagit Valley into hilly terrain.[2] The highway travels southeast and reaches its eastern terminus at SR 9 in Lake McMurray.[3]
The two-lane rural highway primarily serves as a short connector between I-5 and SR 9.[2] SR 534 is maintained by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), which conducts an annual survey of traffic volume that is expressed in terms of annual average daily traffic. Average traffic volumes on the highway in 2016 ranged from a minimum of 1,300 vehicles at SR 9 in Lake McMurray to a maximum of 8,300 vehicles at the I-5 interchange.[4]
The first highway that would later become SR 534 was (SSH 1H), which was first designated in 1937.[5] The road ran from (PSH 1) in Conway to in Lake McMurray.[5] During the 1964 highway renumbering, SSH 1H became SR 534, PSH 1 became (I-5) and SSH 1A became .[6]
The highway's western terminus in Conway was originally an intersection where several fatal collisions occurred during the 1960s.[7] Plans to replace the intersection with a grade-separated interchange were published by the state government in 1968 as part of improvements to I-5 to bring it to Interstate Highway standards.[8] Construction began in July 1969 and was expected to be completed within two years, but was delayed due to difficulty working with the soil over the winter months.[9] SR 534 was relocated to a new overpass at the completed interchange in 1971.[10]