.gif)
State Route 6 (Washington)
Encyclopedia
State Route 6 is a 51.37 miles (82.67 km) long state highway
in Pacific and Lewis
counties in the U.S. state
of Washington. The highway, which extends from (US 101) in Raymond
east to (I-5), co-signed with in Chehalis
. Major communities located on the highway include Raymond, Pe Ell
, Adna
and Chehalis. The first state highway that used the current route of SR 6 was , established in 1913. State Road 19 became in 1923, which became (PSH 12) in 1937. In 1964, PSH 12 became SR 6 and since, three minor construction projects have been arranged, only two have been completed.
as Henkle Street. Paralleling the basic route of the Willapa River
, the highway turns southeast to leave Raymond and become unnamed. Continuing past Menlo
, the roadway realigns directly south to Holcomb
before curving back eastward to Lebam
and Frances
to exit Pacific County and enter Lewis County
. Once in Lewis County, the Willapa River ends in the Willapa Hills
, while the road turns northeast and later east into Pe Ell
. In Pe Ell, SR 6 is named 4th Avenue and crosses the Chehalis River, while the highway is once again unnamed at the Main Street intersection. At the Main Street intersection, the roadway is realigned north to Doty
and east to Dryad
and Rainbow Falls State Park
, where the road goes south and curves northeast to Adna
. In Adna, SR 6 starts to parallel a railroad owned by the Port of Chehalis and operated by the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad
and then the highway crosses the Chehalis River again. The road leaves the community and Littell to intersects Co Road, which had been before 1991. After crossing the Chehalis River for the final time into Chehalis
, the roadway ends at a diamond interchange
with (I-5), co-signed as . The busiest segment of SR 6 in 2007 was the I-5 / US 12 interchange in Chehalis, with an estimated daily average of 13,000 motorists. In 1970, the busiest segment was the US 101 intersection in Raymond, with an estimated daily average of 4,800 motorists.
north to Raymond
and east to Chehalis
. (PSH 12) replaced State Road 12 when the Primary state highways were created in 1937; PSH 12 didn't begin in Megler, but began in Kelso
. Between Raymond and Chehalis, PSH 12 was paralled by numerous railroads that have changed over time. In 1951, the Northern Pacific Railway
followed the route from Raymond to Chehalis, but by 1958, the Pe Ell Prairie Railroad replaced Northern Pacific from Pe Ell
to Dryad
and the Chehalis Western Railroad
, now the Chehalis Western Trail
, replaced Northern Pacific between Adna
and Chehalis. In 1968, the Chehalis Western Railroad no longer operated in the Adna area and the last railroad to parallel current SR 6 was the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad
, which runs from Adna to Chehalis. During the 1964 highway renumbering, PSH 12 was split into (US 830), and SR 6. The only other highway to intersect SR 6 was , the only auxiliary route
of the highway, which was established in 1964 and decommissioned in 1991.
The Washington State Department of Transportation
(WSDOT) has since arranged small construction projects to improve the roadway. After the Great Coastal Gale of 2007
, the road southwest of Pe Ell was filled with debris near an unstable slope. WSDOT later closed the highway between Elk Prairie Road and Meyer Road on 17 December 2007 and started to reopen SR 6 during daylight hours on 29 December. On 28 January 2008, repair work began on the slope and on 4 February, the road was opened for 12 daylight hours. Nighttime closures were lifted starting 13 February and the roadway was fully reopened on 16 March. During the stabilization of the slope near Pe Ell, construction started on 19 February on another slope located near Frances
that was finished in late April. A bridge built in 1925 over the South Fork of the Chehalis River west of Chehalis is currently being replaced with a newer structure and construction started on 25 August 2008. Closures began on 5 January 2009 and girder
s were placed on March5 . The construction is scheduled to end by fall 2009.
State highways in Washington
In the U.S. state of Washington, the Washington State Department of Transportation maintains a network of over 7000 miles of state highways, including all Interstate and U.S. Highways that pass through the state. The system comprises 8.5% of the state's public road mileage, but carries over half...
in Pacific and Lewis
Lewis County, Washington
Lewis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of 2010, the population was 75,455. The county seat is at Chehalis, and its largest city is Centralia....
counties in the U.S. state
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. The highway, which extends from (US 101) in Raymond
Raymond, Washington
Raymond is a city in Pacific County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,975 at the 2000 census and decreased 3.1% to 2,882 at the 2010 census. The town's economy is based on logging and fishing, together with a limited amount of tourism....
east to (I-5), co-signed with in Chehalis
Chehalis, Washington
Chehalis is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,259 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County.-History:...
. Major communities located on the highway include Raymond, Pe Ell
Pe Ell, Washington
Pe Ell is a town in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 632 at the 2010 census.-History:Pe Ell was officially incorporated on March 9, 1906....
, Adna
Adna, Washington
Adna is an unincorporated community located in Lewis County, Washington. Due to its rural setting with little settlement concentration, it did not meet qualifications as a census-designated place, a program used by the U.S. Census Bureau for unincorporated communities. The community was originally...
and Chehalis. The first state highway that used the current route of SR 6 was , established in 1913. State Road 19 became in 1923, which became (PSH 12) in 1937. In 1964, PSH 12 became SR 6 and since, three minor construction projects have been arranged, only two have been completed.
Route description
State Route 6 (SR 6) begins at an intersection with (US 101) in Downtown RaymondRaymond, Washington
Raymond is a city in Pacific County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,975 at the 2000 census and decreased 3.1% to 2,882 at the 2010 census. The town's economy is based on logging and fishing, together with a limited amount of tourism....
as Henkle Street. Paralleling the basic route of the Willapa River
Willapa River
The Willapa River is a river on the Pacific coast of southwestern Washington in the United States, approximately long. It drains an area of low hills and a coastal plain into Willapa Bay, a large estuary north of the mouth of the Columbia River....
, the highway turns southeast to leave Raymond and become unnamed. Continuing past Menlo
Menlo, Washington
Menlo is a small unincorporated community in the Willapa Valley of Pacific County, Washington, United States. It was settled in 1851 as a donation land claim. Menlo was named for the California town of Menlo Park in 1893 when the Northern Pacific Railway line was laid down through the Willapa Valley...
, the roadway realigns directly south to Holcomb
Holcomb, Washington
Holcomb is a small unincorporated community on Highway 6 in Pacific County, Washington, United States, about 6 miles southeast of Raymond. It was founded as a stop on the Northern Pacific Railroad line and named after a company official....
before curving back eastward to Lebam
Lebam, Washington
Lebam is a census-designated place in Pacific County, Washington, United States. The population was 160 at the 2010 census.-History:Lebam was originally called Half Moon Creek. The town was later named Lebam, the reversed spelling of early settler J.W...
and Frances
Frances, Washington
Frances is an unincorporated community in Pacific County, Washington, United States. Frances is located along State Route 6 east of the community of Lebam. Frances and surrounding areas are part of an area heavily affected by the logging industry....
to exit Pacific County and enter Lewis County
Lewis County, Washington
Lewis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of 2010, the population was 75,455. The county seat is at Chehalis, and its largest city is Centralia....
. Once in Lewis County, the Willapa River ends in the Willapa Hills
Willapa Hills
The Willapa Hills is a geologic, physiographic, and geographic region in southwest Washington. When described as a physiographical province, the Willapa Hills are bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Columbia River to the south, the Olympic Mountains to the north, and the Cascade Range to...
, while the road turns northeast and later east into Pe Ell
Pe Ell, Washington
Pe Ell is a town in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 632 at the 2010 census.-History:Pe Ell was officially incorporated on March 9, 1906....
. In Pe Ell, SR 6 is named 4th Avenue and crosses the Chehalis River, while the highway is once again unnamed at the Main Street intersection. At the Main Street intersection, the roadway is realigned north to Doty
Doty, Washington
Doty is an unincorporated town between Dryad and Pe Ell in Washington State, US. C. A. Doty built a sawmill here around 1900, and the town that sprang up around it was named after him. The town once boasted the largest sawmill in Lewis County. There is a Post Office, a General Store, two...
and east to Dryad
Dryad, Washington
Dryad is a rural unincorporated town between Doty and Adna in Washington, USA. It is one of many lumber towns that were once on the Chehalis-South Bend branch of Northern Pacific Railway. The town was once two miles south of the present location, and was called Salal. It moved when Leudinghaus...
and Rainbow Falls State Park
Rainbow Falls State Park
Rainbow Falls State Park is a State park in Washington, located near the town of Dryad. The park features of freshwater shoreline on the Chehalis River, as well as some of the last standing old-growth trees in the Chehalis Valley...
, where the road goes south and curves northeast to Adna
Adna, Washington
Adna is an unincorporated community located in Lewis County, Washington. Due to its rural setting with little settlement concentration, it did not meet qualifications as a census-designated place, a program used by the U.S. Census Bureau for unincorporated communities. The community was originally...
. In Adna, SR 6 starts to parallel a railroad owned by the Port of Chehalis and operated by the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad
Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad
The Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad is headquartered in Elma, Washington. The company began operations on August 30, 1997, when the line was purchased from the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway by the ParkSierra Railgroup...
and then the highway crosses the Chehalis River again. The road leaves the community and Littell to intersects Co Road, which had been before 1991. After crossing the Chehalis River for the final time into Chehalis
Chehalis, Washington
Chehalis is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,259 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County.-History:...
, the roadway ends at a diamond interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...
with (I-5), co-signed as . The busiest segment of SR 6 in 2007 was the I-5 / US 12 interchange in Chehalis, with an estimated daily average of 13,000 motorists. In 1970, the busiest segment was the US 101 intersection in Raymond, with an estimated daily average of 4,800 motorists.
History
The first state highway to extend along the route of SR 6 was , which was designated in 1913. During a 1923 renumbering of the state road system, State Road 19 became , which ran from MeglerMegler, Washington
Megler is a small community located in Pacific County in the U.S. state of Washington. Named for legislator Joseph G. Megler, the community is located at the mouth of the Columbia River on the north shore of the river...
north to Raymond
Raymond, Washington
Raymond is a city in Pacific County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,975 at the 2000 census and decreased 3.1% to 2,882 at the 2010 census. The town's economy is based on logging and fishing, together with a limited amount of tourism....
and east to Chehalis
Chehalis, Washington
Chehalis is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,259 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County.-History:...
. (PSH 12) replaced State Road 12 when the Primary state highways were created in 1937; PSH 12 didn't begin in Megler, but began in Kelso
Kelso, Washington
Kelso is a city in southwest Washington State, United States, and is the county seat of Cowlitz County. At the 2010 census, the population was 11,925. Kelso is part of the Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 102,410. Kelso shares its long western border...
. Between Raymond and Chehalis, PSH 12 was paralled by numerous railroads that have changed over time. In 1951, the Northern Pacific Railway
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
followed the route from Raymond to Chehalis, but by 1958, the Pe Ell Prairie Railroad replaced Northern Pacific from Pe Ell
Pe Ell, Washington
Pe Ell is a town in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 632 at the 2010 census.-History:Pe Ell was officially incorporated on March 9, 1906....
to Dryad
Dryad, Washington
Dryad is a rural unincorporated town between Doty and Adna in Washington, USA. It is one of many lumber towns that were once on the Chehalis-South Bend branch of Northern Pacific Railway. The town was once two miles south of the present location, and was called Salal. It moved when Leudinghaus...
and the Chehalis Western Railroad
Chehalis Western Railroad
The Chehalis Western Railroad was the name of two different shortline railroads that were owned and operated by Weyerhaeuser between 1936 and 1993...
, now the Chehalis Western Trail
Chehalis Western Trail
The Chehalis Western Trail is a rail trail in Washington.It occupies an abandoned railroad corridor that was once used by the historic Weyerhaeuser-owned Chehalis Western Railroad...
, replaced Northern Pacific between Adna
Adna, Washington
Adna is an unincorporated community located in Lewis County, Washington. Due to its rural setting with little settlement concentration, it did not meet qualifications as a census-designated place, a program used by the U.S. Census Bureau for unincorporated communities. The community was originally...
and Chehalis. In 1968, the Chehalis Western Railroad no longer operated in the Adna area and the last railroad to parallel current SR 6 was the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad
Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad
The Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad is headquartered in Elma, Washington. The company began operations on August 30, 1997, when the line was purchased from the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway by the ParkSierra Railgroup...
, which runs from Adna to Chehalis. During the 1964 highway renumbering, PSH 12 was split into (US 830), and SR 6. The only other highway to intersect SR 6 was , the only auxiliary route
Auxiliary route
In road transportation, a special route is a prefixed and/or suffixed numbered road that forms a loop or spur of a more dominant route of the same route number and system. The dominant route is generally referred to as the "parent" or "mainline", while special routes are also unofficially or...
of the highway, which was established in 1964 and decommissioned in 1991.
Washington State Department of Transportation
The Washington State Department of Transportation , was established in 1905. The agency, led by a Secretary and overseen by the Governor, is a Washington governmental agency that constructs, maintains, and regulates the use of the state's transportation infrastructure...
(WSDOT) has since arranged small construction projects to improve the roadway. After the Great Coastal Gale of 2007
Great Coastal Gale of 2007
The Great Coastal Gale of 2007 was a series of powerful Pacific storms that affected the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia between December 1, 2007 and December 3, 2007....
, the road southwest of Pe Ell was filled with debris near an unstable slope. WSDOT later closed the highway between Elk Prairie Road and Meyer Road on 17 December 2007 and started to reopen SR 6 during daylight hours on 29 December. On 28 January 2008, repair work began on the slope and on 4 February, the road was opened for 12 daylight hours. Nighttime closures were lifted starting 13 February and the roadway was fully reopened on 16 March. During the stabilization of the slope near Pe Ell, construction started on 19 February on another slope located near Frances
Frances, Washington
Frances is an unincorporated community in Pacific County, Washington, United States. Frances is located along State Route 6 east of the community of Lebam. Frances and surrounding areas are part of an area heavily affected by the logging industry....
that was finished in late April. A bridge built in 1925 over the South Fork of the Chehalis River west of Chehalis is currently being replaced with a newer structure and construction started on 25 August 2008. Closures began on 5 January 2009 and girder
Girder
A girder is a support beam used in construction. Girders often have an I-beam cross section for strength, but may also have a box shape, Z shape or other forms. Girder is the term used to denote the main horizontal support of a structure which supports smaller beams...
s were placed on March5 . The construction is scheduled to end by fall 2009.
Major intersections
| County | Location | Mile | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific | Raymond Raymond, Washington Raymond is a city in Pacific County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,975 at the 2000 census and decreased 3.1% to 2,882 at the 2010 census. The town's economy is based on logging and fishing, together with a limited amount of tourism.... |
0.00 | Western terminus | |
| Lewis Lewis County, Washington Lewis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of 2010, the population was 75,455. The county seat is at Chehalis, and its largest city is Centralia.... |
49.08 | Co Road – Napavine Napavine, Washington Napavine is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,766 at the 2010 census.-History:Napavine was officially incorporated as a town on November 21, 1913. Settlers began arriving in the Cowlitz area in the early 1850s... , Winlock Winlock, Washington Winlock is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,339 at the 2010 census. It named after territorial army general, Winlock M. Miller, who briefly resided there. Winlock is mostly famous for having the World's Largest , reflecting its former status as a major... |
Former | |
| Chehalis Chehalis, Washington Chehalis is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,259 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County.-History:... |
51.37 | Eastern terminus |