Washington State Route 702 Explained

State:WA
Type:SR
Route:702
Alternate Name:352nd Street
Spur Type:SR
Spur Of:7
Section:815
Map:Washington State Route 702.svg
Length Mi:9.32
Length Ref:[1]
Length Round:2
Direction A:West
Direction B:East
Terminus A: in McKenna
Terminus B: in rural Pierce County
Previous Type:SR
Previous Route:599
Next Type:SR
Next Route:704
County:Pierce
Established:ca. 1931

State Route 702 (SR 702) is a 9.32miles long two-lane state highway located entirely in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The highway travels through rural Pierce County, and has existed since at least 1931 as State Highway 10, then as Secondary State Highway 5J until the 1964 state highway renumbering when it was renumbered to SR 702. The roadway the highway is routed along, continues east to an interchange with SR 161.

Route description

State Route 702 (SR 702) starts at a t intersection with SR 507, east of McKenna Elementary School, headed easterly along 352nd Street. The highway travels through sections of lightly populated rural Pierce County, with sections of alternating houses and small sections of heavily wooded land. The highway terminates at SR 7, however the roadway continues east past the intersection. The entire route is a two lane undivided highway with a 55mph speed limit posted.[1]

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 2009, WSDOT calculated that as few as 4,400 cars traveled over the highway at the eastern terminus at SR 7, and as many as 8,600 cars at the western terminus at SR 507.[2]

History

The roadway linking McKenna to now SR 7 has existed since at least 1931,[3] then designated State Highway 10, and by 1939 the highway designation had been changed to Secondary State Highway 5J (SSH 5J).[4] This number remained until the 1964 state highway renumbering, where the number was changed to the current SR 702.[5] The highways SR 702 have connected to also been renumbered over the years, the western highway being numbered SSH 5H, and the highway on the east was formerly designated Primary State Highway 5.[6]

In February 2010, Representative Tom Campbell secured funding to install a traffic light at the eastern terminus, claiming it "will save lives and support jobs."[7] Two roundabouts are planned to be built in 2024 to replace existing uncontrolled intersections at Harts Lake Road and 40th Avenue.[8]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: State Highway Log Planning Report 2009 SR 2 to SR 971. Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). 1715. October 29, 2010.
  2. Web site: 2009 Annual Traffic Report. WSDOT. 212. October 29, 2010. June 16, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100616135639/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tdo/PDF_and_ZIP_Files/Annual_Traffic_Report_2009.pdf. dead.
  3. Washington State Highway Commission. Washington State Highway Map. October 29, 2010. 1931. DjVu.
  4. Washington State Highway Commission. Washington State Highway Map. October 29, 2010. 1939. DjVu.
  5. Web site: Sign Route Numbers with Corresponding Legislative Highway Numbers. December 1, 1965. Washington State Department of Highways. 4. October 29, 2010.
  6. Washington State Highway Commission. Washington State Highway Map. October 29, 2010. 1950. DjVu.
  7. News: Under the Dome. https://archive.today/20130205073516/http://www.theolympian.com/2010/02/27/1153932/under-the-dome-for-feb-27.html. dead. February 5, 2013. February 27, 2010. The Olympian. Shannon. Brad. October 29, 2010.
  8. News: Sailor . Craig . January 5, 2022 . These three rural Pierce County intersections will soon become roundabouts, WSDOT says . The News Tribune . May 5, 2024.