Washington State Route 231
Encyclopedia
State Route 231 is a 74.97 miles (120.65 km) long state highway
in the U.S. state
of Washington serving communities in Lincoln and Stevens counties. The highway, located entirely west of Spokane
in the Inland Empire
, serves Sprague
, Edwall
, Reardan
, Springdale
and Chewelah
. The route extends from north of Sprague to a concurrency
with (US 2) near Reardan and an intersection with south of Chewelah.
Although SR 231 was established in 1964, the US 2 concurrency has existed as since 1909. Later, Secondary State Highway 2G (SSH 2G) and Secondary State Highway 3J (SSH 3J) were established in 1937 and formed SR 231 in 1964. The highway crosses the Spokane River
on the Spokane River Bridge at Long Lake Dam, which was constructed in 1949 and added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1995 before repair work in late 2008.
and a diamond interchange
with (I-90), co-signed as (US 395). SR 23 is the "parent" or main route of SR 231 and travels northwest to Harrington
and south to Downtown Sprague, spanning 66 miles (106.22 km), 8.97 miles (14.44 km) shorter than SR 231. Traveling northeast, the highway traverses a hill and cliff, passing Browns Lake, and turns west. The direction of the roadway becomes north through a narrow valley and SR 231 arrives in Edwall
as Oregon Street. The roadway briefly turns east as Main Street before crossing a BNSF Railway
line and continuing northeast alongside the tracks. After turning north into the plains, the highway parallels Crab Creek to intersect west of Reardan
.
Becoming concurrent
with US 2, the road becomes Broadway Street and enters Reardan. SR 231 turns north at Aspen Street and crosses the Eastern Washington Gateway Railroad and a marsh via a causeway
. As Spring Creek Road, the highway travels northwest parallel to Spring Creek into Spring Creek Canyon. After the canyon, the roadway crosses the Spokane River
on the Spokane River Bridge at Long Lake Dam, the border between Lincoln and Stevens counties, west of Little Falls Dam and Long Lake. Nearly a mile north of the bridge, SR 231 intersects , a connector to Spokane
. After the intersection, the highway travels north through the community of Ford and continues through a valley into Springdale
. Within Springdale, the roadway is named Second Street and intersects , which connects east to US 395 near Loon Lake
. After crossing a BNSF Railway track, Second Street turns west as Shaffer Street and passes the Springdale Community Health Center, the local medical clinic. SR 231 crosses Sheep Creek and the same railway as Second Street and leaves Springdale, parallel to the railroad, into a valley. The highway intersects former and ends at an intersection with US 395 4.27 miles (6.87 km) south of Chewelah
.
SR 231 was established in 1964, but sections of the current route have been in the state highway system
as early as 1909, when was established and included a section near Reardan
. In 1913, the Inland Empire Highway was established and connected Loon Lake
to Springdale
and Chewelah
. A county-maintained road connected Sprague
to Browns Lake by 1919 and in 1923, State Road 7 became and the Inland Empire Highway became . The U.S. route system
was formed in 1926 and two highways, numbered (US 10) and (US 395), were co-signed with State Roads 2 and 3, respectively. State Road 2 became (PSH 2) in 1937 and a secondary route, Secondary State Highway 2G (SSH 2G) was created, extending from Sprauge to Reardan, in 1937. State Road 3 became during the same year and a secondary route, SSH 3J, was also established to span from the Little Falls Dam at Long Lake to Springdale.
US 10 was replaced by the western extension of in 1946. Three years later, in 1949, the Spokane River Bridge at Long Lake Dam was constructed and spanned from the southern terminus of SSH 3J to Lincoln County. In 1957, PSH 3 and US 395 were moved to an eastern route bypassing
Springdale, while SSH 3J was extended north towards Chewelah and a branch of the highway was added to Loon Lake, both along the former route of PSH 3. SSH 3J was extended south to PSH 2 and US 2 in Reardan, east of the northern terminus of SSH 2G, in 1963. During the 1964 highway renumbering, SR 231 was created from SSH 2G and SSH 3J and became concurrent
with US 2; US 2 replaced PSH 2 and US 395 replaced PSH 3, while the branch of SSH 3J to Loon Lake became . The Spokane River Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on June 2, 1995 along with the rest of the bridges on the Spokane River
northwest of Spokane
, and the bridge was repaired in late 2008.
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 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 serving communities in Lincoln and Stevens counties. The highway, located entirely west of Spokane
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
in the Inland Empire
Inland Empire (Pacific Northwest)
thumb|The Inland Empire regionThe Inland Northwest, or Inland Empire, is a region in the Pacific Northwest centered on Spokane, Washington, including the surrounding Columbia River basin and all of North Idaho....
, serves Sprague
Sprague, Washington
Sprague is a city in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 446 at the 2010 census. The town was plotted in 1880 and named for former American Civil War Union general John Wilson Sprague.Eugene E...
, Edwall
Edwall, Washington
Edwall is a small unincorporated village located about 35 miles from the city of Spokane in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. Edwall is part of the Reardan-Edwall School District. The school district was closed for a record amount of days due to a big snow storm in the inland area in...
, Reardan
Reardan, Washington
Reardan is a town in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 571 at the 2010 census.-History:Founded in 1882 and platted in 1889, Reardan was named for Central Washington Railroad engineer C.F. Reardan...
, Springdale
Springdale, Washington
Springdale is a town in Stevens County, Washington, United States. The population was 285 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Springdale is located at ....
and Chewelah
Chewelah, Washington
Chewelah is a city in Stevens County, Washington, United States. Chewelah was labeled Chiel-Charle-Mous on the 1897 U. S. Land Office Map. The population was 2,607 at the 2010 census which was a 19.3% increase over the 2000 census.-History:...
. The route extends from north of Sprague to a concurrency
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with (US 2) near Reardan and an intersection with south of Chewelah.
Although SR 231 was established in 1964, the US 2 concurrency has existed as since 1909. Later, Secondary State Highway 2G (SSH 2G) and Secondary State Highway 3J (SSH 3J) were established in 1937 and formed SR 231 in 1964. The highway crosses the Spokane River
Spokane River
The Spokane River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northern Idaho and eastern Washington in the United States. It drains a low mountainous area east of the Columbia, passing through the city of Spokane, Washington.-Description:...
on the Spokane River Bridge at Long Lake Dam, which was constructed in 1949 and added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1995 before repair work in late 2008.
Route description
State Route 231 (SR 231) begins at 0.79 miles (1.27 km) north of SpragueSprague, Washington
Sprague is a city in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 446 at the 2010 census. The town was plotted in 1880 and named for former American Civil War Union general John Wilson Sprague.Eugene E...
and 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-90), co-signed as (US 395). SR 23 is the "parent" or main route of SR 231 and travels northwest to Harrington
Harrington, Washington
Harrington is a city in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 424 at the 2010 census. It was named after W.P. Harrington, a banker from Colusa, California who had heavily invested in local land.-History:...
and south to Downtown Sprague, spanning 66 miles (106.22 km), 8.97 miles (14.44 km) shorter than SR 231. Traveling northeast, the highway traverses a hill and cliff, passing Browns Lake, and turns west. The direction of the roadway becomes north through a narrow valley and SR 231 arrives in Edwall
Edwall, Washington
Edwall is a small unincorporated village located about 35 miles from the city of Spokane in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. Edwall is part of the Reardan-Edwall School District. The school district was closed for a record amount of days due to a big snow storm in the inland area in...
as Oregon Street. The roadway briefly turns east as Main Street before crossing a BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
line and continuing northeast alongside the tracks. After turning north into the plains, the highway parallels Crab Creek to intersect west of Reardan
Reardan, Washington
Reardan is a town in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 571 at the 2010 census.-History:Founded in 1882 and platted in 1889, Reardan was named for Central Washington Railroad engineer C.F. Reardan...
.
Becoming concurrent
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with US 2, the road becomes Broadway Street and enters Reardan. SR 231 turns north at Aspen Street and crosses the Eastern Washington Gateway Railroad and a marsh via a causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
. As Spring Creek Road, the highway travels northwest parallel to Spring Creek into Spring Creek Canyon. After the canyon, the roadway crosses the Spokane River
Spokane River
The Spokane River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northern Idaho and eastern Washington in the United States. It drains a low mountainous area east of the Columbia, passing through the city of Spokane, Washington.-Description:...
on the Spokane River Bridge at Long Lake Dam, the border between Lincoln and Stevens counties, west of Little Falls Dam and Long Lake. Nearly a mile north of the bridge, SR 231 intersects , a connector to Spokane
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
. After the intersection, the highway travels north through the community of Ford and continues through a valley into Springdale
Springdale, Washington
Springdale is a town in Stevens County, Washington, United States. The population was 285 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Springdale is located at ....
. Within Springdale, the roadway is named Second Street and intersects , which connects east to US 395 near Loon Lake
Loon Lake (Washington)
Loon Lake is a lake located in Stevens County, Washington, north-northwest of Spokane, Washington at an elevation of . Named by John Hofsteter in 1881, the lake is about two miles wide, one mile long, and has a maximum depth of .-Details:...
. After crossing a BNSF Railway track, Second Street turns west as Shaffer Street and passes the Springdale Community Health Center, the local medical clinic. SR 231 crosses Sheep Creek and the same railway as Second Street and leaves Springdale, parallel to the railroad, into a valley. The highway intersects former and ends at an intersection with US 395 4.27 miles (6.87 km) south of Chewelah
Chewelah, Washington
Chewelah is a city in Stevens County, Washington, United States. Chewelah was labeled Chiel-Charle-Mous on the 1897 U. S. Land Office Map. The population was 2,607 at the 2010 census which was a 19.3% increase over the 2000 census.-History:...
.
History
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...
as early as 1909, when was established and included a section near Reardan
Reardan, Washington
Reardan is a town in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 571 at the 2010 census.-History:Founded in 1882 and platted in 1889, Reardan was named for Central Washington Railroad engineer C.F. Reardan...
. In 1913, the Inland Empire Highway was established and connected Loon Lake
Loon Lake (Washington)
Loon Lake is a lake located in Stevens County, Washington, north-northwest of Spokane, Washington at an elevation of . Named by John Hofsteter in 1881, the lake is about two miles wide, one mile long, and has a maximum depth of .-Details:...
to Springdale
Springdale, Washington
Springdale is a town in Stevens County, Washington, United States. The population was 285 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Springdale is located at ....
and Chewelah
Chewelah, Washington
Chewelah is a city in Stevens County, Washington, United States. Chewelah was labeled Chiel-Charle-Mous on the 1897 U. S. Land Office Map. The population was 2,607 at the 2010 census which was a 19.3% increase over the 2000 census.-History:...
. A county-maintained road connected Sprague
Sprague, Washington
Sprague is a city in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 446 at the 2010 census. The town was plotted in 1880 and named for former American Civil War Union general John Wilson Sprague.Eugene E...
to Browns Lake by 1919 and in 1923, State Road 7 became and the Inland Empire Highway became . The U.S. route system
United States Numbered Highways
The system of United States Numbered Highways is an integrated system of roads and highways in the United States numbered within a nationwide grid...
was formed in 1926 and two highways, numbered (US 10) and (US 395), were co-signed with State Roads 2 and 3, respectively. State Road 2 became (PSH 2) in 1937 and a secondary route, Secondary State Highway 2G (SSH 2G) was created, extending from Sprauge to Reardan, in 1937. State Road 3 became during the same year and a secondary route, SSH 3J, was also established to span from the Little Falls Dam at Long Lake to Springdale.
US 10 was replaced by the western extension of in 1946. Three years later, in 1949, the Spokane River Bridge at Long Lake Dam was constructed and spanned from the southern terminus of SSH 3J to Lincoln County. In 1957, PSH 3 and US 395 were moved to an eastern route bypassing
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
Springdale, while SSH 3J was extended north towards Chewelah and a branch of the highway was added to Loon Lake, both along the former route of PSH 3. SSH 3J was extended south to PSH 2 and US 2 in Reardan, east of the northern terminus of SSH 2G, in 1963. During the 1964 highway renumbering, SR 231 was created from SSH 2G and SSH 3J and became concurrent
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with US 2; US 2 replaced PSH 2 and US 395 replaced PSH 3, while the branch of SSH 3J to Loon Lake became . The Spokane River Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on June 2, 1995 along with the rest of the bridges on the Spokane River
Spokane River
The Spokane River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northern Idaho and eastern Washington in the United States. It drains a low mountainous area east of the Columbia, passing through the city of Spokane, Washington.-Description:...
northwest of Spokane
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
, and the bridge was repaired in late 2008.
Major intersections
| County | Location | Mile | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln | 0.00 | Southern terminus | ||
| 28.01 | Southern terminus of concurrency Concurrency (road) A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers... |
|||
| Reardan Reardan, Washington Reardan is a town in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 571 at the 2010 census.-History:Founded in 1882 and platted in 1889, Reardan was named for Central Washington Railroad engineer C.F. Reardan... |
30.89 | Northern terminus of concurrency | ||
| Stevens | 45.23 | |||
| Springdale Springdale, Washington Springdale is a town in Stevens County, Washington, United States. The population was 285 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Springdale is located at .... |
61.95 | |||
| 70.24 | Former SR 292 Washington State Route 292 State Route 292 is a long state highway located entirely in Stevens County, Washington, United States. The highway begins at an interchange with SR 231 in Springdale and travels east to an intersection with U.S... |
|||
| 74.97 | Northern terminus |