Washington State Route 599

Washington State Route 599 is a 1.75-mile freeway entirely contained within the City of Tukwila located in King County. WA 599 is a north/south route connecting I-5 to WA 99 and is former alignment of US Route 99.

This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page. For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below.

Gribblenation US Route 99 Page

Washington State Route 599

There isn't much to WA 599 as a route but there are some neat signs like this WA 599 "Begin."

The Light Rail from SeaTac International Airport crosses above WA 599 near Marginal Way.

There are only two exits on WA 599; the first is at Interurban Avenue while the second is at Tukwila International Boulevard. Tukwila International Boulevard is another former alignment of US 99 which predated the freeway WA 599 runs on now.

North of Tukwila International Boulevard the route becomes WA 99 and WA 599 ends. There is a much better sign assembly explaining the change south of this one, but I wasn't expecting it and missed the photo.

Interestingly there is a gap in WA 99 from WA 518 north to the terminus of WA 599 which is spanned but Tukwila International Boulevard. The routing of what is now WA 599 was constructed in the late 1950s and was part of Primary State Highway 1 WM (West Marginal). When the route had been completed US 99 switched alignments apparently onto a multiplex of I-5 and may have been once been signed as US 99T. The route has been designated at WA 599 since 1971. This older map of the state highway system from 1956 shows how US 99 used to flow through from Tacoma through Seattle before the construction of I-5.

1956 Washington State Highway Map

Edit 5/13/18: I was shown a 1970 map scan of downtown Seattle by Flickr user Arthur Allen showing the routing of WA 599 shown as WA 99T. The map scan can be viewed here at the following link:

Arthur Allen Flickr Page showing a 1970 Map Scan of downtown Seattle

Comments

Interstate 40's Tumultuous Ride Through the Pigeon River Gorge

In the nearly 60 years Interstate 40 has been open to traffic through the Pigeon River Gorge in the mountains of Western North Carolina, it has been troubled by frequent rockslides and damaging flooding, which has seen the over 30-mile stretch through North Carolina and Tennessee closed for months at a time. Most recently, excessive rainfall from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 saw sections of Interstate 40 wash away into a raging Pigeon River. While the physical troubles of Interstate 40 are well known, how I-40 came to be through the area is a tale of its own. Interstate 40 West through Haywood County near mile marker 10. I-40's route through the Pigeon River Gorge dates to local political squabbles in the 1940s and a state highway law written in 1921. A small note appeared in the July 28, 1945, Asheville Times. It read that the North Carolina State Highway Commission had authorized a feasibility study of a "...water-level road down [the] Pigeon River to the Tennessee l...

Massena Center Suspension Bridge

The Massena Center Bridge, also known as the Holton D. Robinson Bridge, has had quite the tumultuous history. Situated on the Grasse River just east of Massena, New York in the hamlet of Massena Center, the Massena Center Bridge is a reminder of the efforts the community has made in order to connect over the river. The first and only other known bridge to be built at Massena Center was built in 1832, but that bridge was never long for this world. During the spring of 1833, the Grasse River dammed itself due to an ice dam, flooded and lifted the bridge off its foundation, destroying the bridge in the process. The floods were frequent in the river during the spring, often backing up the river from Hogansburg and past Massena Center, but not to nearby Massena. After the first bridge disappeared, local residents had to resort to traveling seven miles west to Massena to cross the next closest bridge, and that was no easy task for a horse and buggy. However, it was many decades befo...

The Dead Man's Curve of Interstate 90 and Innerbelt Freeway in Cleveland

"Dead Man's Curve" refers to the transition ramp Interstate 90 takes between Cleveland Memorial Shoreway onto the Innerbelt Freeway in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Said curve includes a sharp transition between the two freeways which is known for a high rate of accidents. Currently the curve (not officially named) has a 35 MPH advisory speed and numerous safety features intended to mitigate crashes. When the Interstate System was first conceived during 1956, Interstate 90 was intended to use the entirety Cleveland Memorial Shoreway and connect to the Northwest Freeway through Lakewood. The Innerbelt Freeway was initially planned as the northernmost segment of Interstate 71. The extension of Cleveland Memorial Shoreway west of Edgewater Park was never constructed which led to Interstate 90 being routed through the Innerbelt Freeway. Part 1; the history of Cleveland's Innerbelt Freeway and Deadman's Curve The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 was signe...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog