WHAT IS THE GOAL?
Our goal is to expand the current two-lane highway into a
four-lane divided highway between Burbank, Washington
and Walla Walla, Washington. This will improve safety,
decrease congestion, and enhance economic vitality.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
SAFETY
U.S. Highway 12 from Burbank to Walla Walla is a heavily
traveled, two-lane highway with average daily traffic counts
of up to 13,000 vehicles per day. Freight trucks account for
approximately 33 percent of the traffic volume. Cargo
volumes through this section of U.S. Highway 12 can reach
10.73 million tons per year.
More Americans are killed on rural roads (like U.S. Highway
12) than crowded urban expressways, even though two-lane
roads carry less traffic. Since 1991, U.S. Highway 12 from
Burbank to Walla Walla has experienced 1,079 accidents, of
which 414 were injury accidents that resulted in 30 deaths.
Traffic
Accident Profile
On October 24, 1971, 12 people were killed as the result
of a head-on collision between two passenger vehicles on
U.S. Highway 12, six miles east of Wallula Junction. At
the time, this was the worst accident involving two
passenger vehicles in Washington State history.
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According to the Traffic Safety Bureau, a 40 percent
reduction in serious injury and fatal crashes can be expected
on a highway improved from two lanes to four lanes. Given
the relatively high number of deaths and serious injury that
occur on U.S. Highway 12, a 40 percent reduction would
equate to a significant savings of lives and suffering.
ECONOMIC
VITALITY
Economic development is dependent on having access to a
high-quality transportation system. One of the most
important considerations for virtually any business looking to
locate is the availability of a four-lane highway close to a
prospective site. The vast majority of businesses want to be
within a few miles of a four-lane highway so they can efficiently
receive supplies and deliver products to their markets.
The Walla Walla valley has lost promising economic
development opportunities simply because the business wanted
to be located closer to a four-lane highway. Walla Walla has
also been prevented from submitting responses to economic
development leads because the siting criteria required access to
a four-lane highway.
Expanding U.S. Highway 12 is important to our economic
future. Walla Walla’s per capita personal income is only 77
percent of the national average and 73 percent of the state
average. This translates into approximately $7,000 less per
capita income per person living in Walla Walla County.
HOW IMPORTANT IS THE EXPANSION?
The following are three indications that the proposed project is
a top regional and state priority:
- Walla Walla County’s Comprehensive Plan identifies the
four-lane expansion of U.S. Highway 12 as a project of regional
significance. It is supported by all local government agencies.
- The expansion of U.S. Highway 12 to four lanes from Burbank
to Walla Walla is the number one transportation priority of the
Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla County Good Roads and
Transportation Association.
- The Washington State Department of Transportation identifies
the U.S. Highway 12 four-lane expansion as a priority project.
FOR
MORE INFORMATION
Please
contact us if you would
like more information about the proposed expansion.
Port
of Walla Walla
310 "A" Street
Walla Walla, WA 99362-2269
Phone - (509) 525-3100
Fax - (509) 525-3101
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WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ACCOMPLISHED?
- The U.S. Highway 12 coalition has been formed, an alliance of
public and private organizations working to four-lane U.S.
Highway 12. The coalition has hired a federal lobbyist (Ball Janik
LLP) to elevate the project’s profile in the nation’s capital.
WHAT
WOULD IT COST?
The project is being funded and constructed in phases.
Phase
1 - COMPLETED
McNary pool to Attalia Vicinity
Mile Post 299.3 to Mile Post 302.29
Total Project Cost.......$11.2 million
Completed August 2004
Phase 2 - COMPLETED
SR 124 to McNary Pool
Mile Post 295.3 to Mile Post 299.3
Total Project Cost.......$12.1 million
Completed November 2005
Phase 3 - COMPLETED
Attalia Vicinity
Mile Post 302.2 to Mile Post 305.0
Total Project Cost.......$17.0 million
Completed October 2007
Phase 4 - IN PROCESS
Wallula to Walla Walla Corridor Study
Total Project Cost.......$5.5 million
Study Timeline – Spring 2004 to Late Fall 2009
The US12 Corridor Study has identified a northerly corridor that eliminates the need for widening Phase 5.
Phase 5 - ELIMINATED
Attalia Vicinity to US 730
Mile Post 305.0 to Mile Post 307.3
Total Cost.......$0.8 million
Phase 6 - UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Frenchtown Vicinity to Walla Walla
Mile Post 325.9 to Mile Post 335.6
Estimated Project Cost....$57.0 million
Construction Timeline – Spring 2008 to Summer 2010
US 12/SR 124 Intersection - 2010 CONSTRUCTION
Estimated Project Cost....$29.5 million
Construction Timeline – Spring 2010 to Fall 2011
WHAT
REMAINS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED
Phase 7A - PARTIALLY FUNDED
Nine Mile Hill to Woodward Canyon Vicinity
Mile Post 317.2 to Mile Post 322.7
Estimated Project Cost....$74.0 million
Phase 7B - UNFUNDED
Woodward Canyon Vicinity to Frenchtown Vicinity
$85,000,000
Mile Post 322.7 to Mile Post 328.1
Estimated Project Cost....$53.0 million
Phase
8 - UNFUNDED
Wallula to Nine Mile Hill
Mile Post 304.2 to Mile Post 317.8
Estimated Project Cost....$235 million
* Costs for interchanges are not included in the above
estimate. The Coalition will seek funding for interchanges
after U.S. Highway 12 is four-laned from Burbank to
Walla Walla. |
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
Minimizing the impact on environmentally sensitive areas is a
primary objective in the design of these projects. The
Washington State Department of Transportation and the
Federal Highway Administration, in cooperation with the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, completed an environmental
assessment to identify the potential impacts to natural and
human communities in the corridor from Burbank to Wallula.
This project required careful attention in its design, as it passed
through and affected several federally managed sensitive
resource lands. The environmental assessment for McDonald
Road to Walla Walla has been published. Several strong
partnerships were developed with state and federal agencies to
address the substantial environmental challenges of this
corridor improvement project.
CURRENT DESIGNATIONS FOR U.S. HIGHWAY 12
FROM BURBANK TO WALLA WALLA
This
stretch of highway currently has the following designations:
-
Part of the National Highway System (NHS)
- A Washington
State Highway of Statewide Significance (HSS)
-
State
designated “Scenic and Recreational Highway”
-
Part
of “Lewis and Clark Trail Highway”
-
A
Washington State Strategic Freight Corridor.
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