State Route 14 (Washington)

State Route 14 (Washington)
Fredddie, originally by PHenry, et al · Public domain · source
State	WA
Type	SR
Route	14
Length mi	180.66
Established	1964
Direction a	West
Terminus a	Vancouver
Direction b	East
Terminus b	Pomeroy
Counties	Clark County, Skamania County, Klickitat County, Benton County, Franklin County, Walla Walla County

State Route 14 (Washington) is an east–west highway running along the north bank of the Columbia River across southern Washington State, connecting Vancouver on the Willamette confluence to Pomeroy near the Blue Mountains. The route serves as a major corridor paralleling Interstate 84 and the Union Pacific mainline, linking Portland region commerce points, Bonneville Dam, The Dalles cross-river facilities, and agricultural centers including Pasco and Walla Walla. SR 14 is part of several state and federal designations, including segments of the National Highway System and the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail alignment.

Route description

SR 14 begins at an interchange with Interstate 5 in Vancouver near Esther Short Park and proceeds east through suburban corridors adjacent to Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, crossing industrial areas tied to Port of Vancouver facilities and connections to Columbia River Crossing discussions. The highway parallels the Columbia River, traversing Washougal and providing access to recreational sites like Beacon Rock State Park and Wind River Experimental Forest near Skamania County. Eastward, SR 14 serves cross-river ferry and bridge connections to Interstate 84 at locations near Bonneville Dam and Cascade Locks.

Continuing, SR 14 skirts the northern edge of The Dalles vista points and intersects routes serving Maryhill and the Maryhill State Park area, then moves through Klickitat County towns such as Goldendale and Lyle, connecting to state highways serving agricultural hubs like Bingen and White Salmon. East of Burbank the route shifts inland toward Pasco region connectors and high-desert terrain approaching Pomeroy and the Blue Mountains foothills. The corridor interfaces with railroad facilities operated by BNSF Railway and Union Pacific and supports freight movements tied to Port of Pasco and grain elevators in Walla Walla County.

History

The highway corridor follows transportation paths used by Lewis and Clark Expedition in the early 19th century and later by wagon roads and Columbia River Highway pioneers. In the early 20th century, segments were improved as part of state numbered routes linking Vancouver and The Dalles. The 1930s and 1940s saw investments related to the construction of Bonneville Dam and the expansion of inland navigation and hydroelectric projects overseen by entities such as the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

SR 14 was officially designated in the 1964 state highway renumbering, consolidating earlier secondary and primary routes under a single numeric route. Through the late 20th century, the highway underwent widening, alignment improvements, and safety upgrades, often coordinated with projects tied to Interstate 205 planning, Bonneville Power Administration transmission corridors, and regional freight strategies led by the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council. Notable improvements include the construction of bypass segments around town centers and interchange modernization near Vancouver to handle commuter traffic to Portland job centers.

SR 14 has also been affected by environmental and cultural considerations involving Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area protections, tribal consultations with nations such as the Yakama Nation and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and heritage tourism tied to sites like the Maryhill Museum of Art and Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.

Major intersections

Key junctions along SR 14 include the western terminus at Interstate 5 in Vancouver; connections to SR 500 and SR 501 serving Clark County; interchanges with routes providing access to Washougal and Skamania County recreational areas; junctions serving cross-river links to Interstate 84 near Bonneville Dam and The Dalles; intersections with SR 141 near Centerville; connections to US Route 97 access ramps serving Goldendale region; links with SR 237 and US Route 730 near the Burbank–Pasco corridor; and the eastern terminus connections near Pomeroy tying into local road networks and routes toward Asotin County.

Future

Planned projects on the corridor include capacity upgrades near Vancouver to improve commutes between Clark County and the Portland metropolitan area, safety improvements in high-accident stretches identified by the Washington State Department of Transportation and freight reliability investments coordinated with Washington State Freight Mobility Plan objectives. Environmental mitigation work associated with Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area stewardship and tribal agreements is expected to shape alignment choices, while multimodal access enhancements aim to connect SR 14 with regional transit initiatives like C-TRAN and intercity rail proposals involving Amtrak and state passenger rail planning.

Auxiliary routes

SR 14 has a number of spur and connector routes historically used to access riverfront towns, parks, and port facilities. These include short connectors to SR 500 and urban arterials in Vancouver, spur links to Maryhill Museum of Art and Maryhill State Park, and truck bypasses around towns such as Goldendale and Burbank. Some auxiliary alignments were repurposed or decommissioned following the 1964 renumbering and subsequent local jurisdiction transfers managed by county governments including Klickitat County and Skamania County.

Category:State highways in Washington (state) Category:Transportation in Clark County, Washington Category:Transportation in Klickitat County, Washington