I82 washington state

Within the Yakima Valley local farm traffic would be noticeable, especially the specialized apple crate trucks, but over Manastash Ridge, most of the trucks would be the long distance carriers.

streetview with truck traffic



New WSDOT photo on flickr, Manastash Ridge viewpoint



Alternate route between Yakima and Ellensburg - Yakima River Canyon Scenic Byway

Since it is harvest season, I82 serves as a main conduit for farm to processor trucks.

amandasgramma wrote:
Familiar enough to know we'd never use it!...

:h

Familiar enough to know we'd never use it!!!!! :) :) :)

Thanks to you all for the info. It is interesting to me and certainly not what you get from either looking at a map or a quick google. Part of what I love about road travel is the "why is this here" aspect. It usually leads to some fascinating facts and history.
Thanks Again

paulj wrote:
It gets heavy truck traffic because it is a cross over between I80/84 and I90. Traffic headed to Seattle and Vancouver from the east has to take the northerly I90/94 route, or a central I80/84/82/90 route.

Yup. South Pass (80) is probably the easiest way to get across the Rockies, and from there, getting to Seattle or Vancouver means using the 82.

Hanford is a flat area near the Columbia River, close to the TriCities at the south end of I82. And it's not close to I82. The Firing Range covers the hills between Yakima and Ellensburg. If you came up US97 this is probably the part you traveled. It's a highspeed rolling stretch of freeway, with an impressive downhill at the north end.

It gets heavy truck traffic because it is a cross over between I80/84 and I90. Traffic headed to Seattle and Vancouver from the east has to take the northerly I90/94 route, or a central I80/84/82/90 route.

US97 in Washington is one of the more varied highways in the country. It starts with climb from the Columbia to Satus Pass. Then a drop through the Yakima Indian Reservation to the Yakima agricultural area (I82). then it crosses the ridge to Ellensburg, and higher ridge to US2. Blewett Pass is nearly as high as US2 Stevens Pass, though it never gets as much snow. Then it follows the Columbia River and its orchard country. And finally the open Okanogan valley till it reaches the bustling BC 97 orchard and resort country.

Are you sure it was Hanford and not the live fire range of JBLM? I also just found the truck traffic amazing because it was about as busy as the grape vine in Cali? Just seemed strange out in the badlands.

What you saw was Hanford Nuclear reservation America's nuclear program began here.

But you probably saw the Yakima Firing range used by the Army as a Artillery practice area.

Interstate 82 (I-82) is a 143.58-mile (231.07 km) Interstate Highway that extends from I-90 in Ellensburg, Washington, to I-84 near Umatilla, Oregon, in the United States. In the state of Washington, it serves the cities of Ellensburg, Yakima, and the Tri Cities (via I-182), and in Oregon, it serves Umatilla and Hermiston. It is the major route westwards to Seattle and eastwards to Boise and Salt Lake City (via I-84 and I-15). I-82's designation is a violation of the Interstate system's numbering rules, as it is located north of I-84, and is also primarily a north-south route. I-84 was originally designated I-80N, but received its current number in 1980 as part of efforts to eliminate suffixed routes.