Washington State Route 292

File:State Route 292 eastbound in Springdale, WA.jpg in Springdale]]

State Route 292 (SR 292) begins in Springdale at an intersection with SR 231, the town's main street and a major north–south highway through Stevens County.{{cite WSDOT map |year=2014 |accessdate=April 3, 2022}} The highway travels east from the town along the BNSF Railway's Kettle Falls Subdivision, a minor freight railroad, and Sheep Creek between Limekiln Hill and May Hill.{{cite map |date=January 2016 |title=2015 Washington State Rail System by Owner |url=https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/1FA0FD58-C5AD-46A8-BE95-1D2FC904D66F/0/2015WashingtonRailSystem.pdf |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190215221814/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/1FA0FD58-C5AD-46A8-BE95-1D2FC904D66F/0/2015WashingtonRailSystem.pdf |archive-date=February 15, 2019 |access-date=April 3, 2022}}{{cite map |date=September 1, 2011 |title=BNSF Subdivisions |url=https://www.bnsf.com/ship-with-bnsf/maps-and-shipping-locations/pdf/subdivisions-map.pdf |publisher=BNSF Railway |accessdate=April 3, 2022}} It continues east into rolling forestland and passes farmland before descending towards the unincorporated community of Loon Lake.{{cite web |date=March 19, 2018 |title=Corridor Sketch Summary – SR 292: SR 231 Jct. (Springdale) to US 395 Jct. (Loon Lake) |url=https://wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-10/CSS467-SR292-SR231JctSpringdale-US395JctLoonLake.pdf |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |accessdate=April 3, 2022}} SR 292 crosses over Sheep Creek and under the railroad as it enters Loon Lake, where it passes north of the eponymous lake. The highway travels southeast through Loon Lake's small commercial district and terminates at a roundabout with US 395 and Garden Spot Road on the northeast shore of the lake.{{google maps |title=State Route 292 |url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/48.0567115,-117.7413655/48.0599787,-117.6205642/@48.0619463,-117.715984,11953m/am=t/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1 |accessdate=April 3, 2022}}

The {{convert|6|mi|km|adj=mid|spell=in|-long}}, two-lane highway primarily connects Springdale to Loon Lake, along with serving recreational traffic in the area. It is maintained by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), which conducts an annual survey of traffic volume that is expressed in terms of annual average daily traffic. Average traffic volumes on SR 292 in 2016 ranged from a minimum of 2,300 vehicles at SR 231 in Springdale to a maximum of 3,400 vehicles in Loon Lake.{{cite report |year=2017 |title=2016 Annual Traffic Report |pages=197–198 |url=https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/travel/pdf/Annual_Traffic_Report_2016.pdf |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200208001700/https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/travel/pdf/Annual_Traffic_Report_2016.pdf |archive-date=February 8, 2020 |accessdate=April 3, 2022}}

The Spokane Falls and Northern Railway (later part of the Great Northern Railway) was completed between Spokane and Chewelah in 1889, providing a fixed overland link between Springdale and Loon Lake.{{cite news |date=July 12, 1959 |title=Driving of Spike to Mark Event |page=18 |work=The Spokesman-Review |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99110485/driving-of-spike-to-mark-event/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=April 4, 2022}} A parallel wagon road was completed by 1910 and later classified as suitable for automobile travel.{{cite map |year=1910 |title=Idaho & Washington Northern Railroad and Connections |scale=1 inch = 6 miles |publisher=Matthews-Northrup Works |url=https://content.libraries.wsu.edu/digital/collection/maps/id/735/rec/22 |via=WSU Libraries Digital Collections |accessdate=April 4, 2022}}{{cite WSDOT map |year=1912 |accessdate=April 4, 2022}} It was incorporated into the Inland Empire Highway, a state highway established in 1913 that connected the Palouse to Spokane and the Canadian border in Stevens County.{{cite WSDOT map |year=1913 |accessdate=April 4, 2022}}{{cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |date=October 9, 2013 |title=Inland Empire Highway |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/10644 |work=HistoryLink |accessdate=April 4, 2022}}{{cite map |year=1918 |title=Road map of the Northwest |publisher=State College of Washington Highway Department |url=https://content.libraries.wsu.edu/digital/collection/maps/id/1125/rec/8 |via=WSU Libraries Digital Collections |accessdate=April 4, 2022}}

The Inland Empire Highway was assigned the designation of State Road 3 (later Primary State Highway 3) in 1923. It then became part of US 395, created in 1926 as part of the initial United States Numbered Highway System to connect Spokane to the Canadian border.{{cite map |author1= Bureau of Public Roads |author2= American Association of State Highway Officials |date= November 11, 1926 |title= United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials |url= https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:United_States_System_of_Highways_Adopted_for_Uniform_Marking_by_the_American_Association_of_State_Highway_Officials.jpg |scale= 1:7,000,000 |location= Washington, DC |publisher= United States Geological Survey |oclc= 32889555 |via= Wikimedia Commons |access-date=April 4, 2022}} Paving of the highway between Spokane and Kettle Falls began in 1931 and was completed a year later.{{cite news |date=July 29, 1931 |title=Thousand Men Find Work on Empire's Highways |page=14 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99112889/thousand-men-find-work-on-empires/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=April 4, 2022}}{{cite WSDOT map |year=1932 |accessdate=April 4, 2022}} The Springdale–Loon Lake section was rebuilt in 1951, including a new underpass under the Great Northern Railway.{{cite news |last=Woods |first=Dick |date=October 1951 |title=District No. 5 |page=14 |work=State of Washington Department of Highways News |publisher=Washington State Department of Highways |volume=1 |issue=4 |oclc=29654162 |url=https://cdm16977.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16977coll1/id/391/rec/8 |via=WSDOT Library Digital Collections |accessdate=April 4, 2022}}

The state government approved plans to realign US 395 between Loon Lake and Chewelah onto a straighter highway in early 1957.{{cite news |date=January 17, 1957 |title=Highway 395 Change Topic Next Monday |page=B3 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99113239/highway-395-change-topic-next-monday/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=April 4, 2022}} The new alignment would eliminate more than 45 curves and nearly {{convert|6|mi|km}} between Spokane and Chewelah; it would cost $1.3 million to construct (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|1300000|1957}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars){{inflation-fn|US-GDP}} and use funding from the federal government.{{cite news |date=March 1957 |title=Hearing on Loon Lake Bypass On PSH 3 Held |page=5 |work=Washington Highways |publisher=Washington State Department of Highways |volume=6 |issue=9 |oclc=29654162 |url=https://cdm16977.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16977coll1/id/2468/ |via=WSDOT Library Digital Collections |accessdate=September 12, 2018}} Construction began in October 1957 and the new highway opened to traffic on November 10, 1959.{{cite news |date=November 11, 1959 |title=Caravan of Cars Opens New Road |page=6 |work=The Spokesman-Review |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99109938/caravan-of-cars-opens-new-road/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=April 4, 2022}}{{cite news |date=July 1958 |title=Work on Loon Lake-Chewelah Cut-off Route Progresses; More to Come |page=19 |work=Washington Highway News |publisher=Washington State Department of Highways |volume=8 |issue=1 |oclc=29654162

|url=https://cdm16977.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16977coll1/id/3191/rec/6 |via=WSDOT Library Digital Collections |accessdate=April 4, 2022}} The former route from Loon Lake to Springdale was retained as a branch of SSH 3J by the state legislature in early 1959.{{cite book |date=March 24, 1959 |title=Session Laws of the State of Washington, 1959 |chapter=Chapter 319: Highways |page=1527 |chapter-url=https://leg.wa.gov/CodeReviser/documents/sessionlaw/1959c319.pdf |publisher=Washington State Legislature |accessdate=April 4, 2022}}{{cite web |author=Highway Planning Division |year=1969 |title=Washington State Highway System Legislative Changes |page=26 |publisher=Washington State Highway Commission |url=https://cdm16977.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16977coll11/id/2107/rec/14 |via=WSDOT Library Digital Collections |accessdate=April 4, 2022}}

SSH 3J was renumbered to SR 231 in 1964, while its east–west branch became SR 292.{{cite web |date=December 1, 1965 |title=Identification of State Highways: Legislative Highway Numbers With Corresponding Sign Route Numbers |page=18 |publisher=Washington State Highway Commission |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2005/04/26/Identification-of-state-highways.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202073838/https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2005/04/26/Identification-of-state-highways.pdf |archive-date=February 2, 2020 |accessdate=April 4, 2022}} In 1991, the state government proposed decommissioning SR 292 and transferring it to county maintenance, but were opposed by civic leaders from Springdale who feared that logging trucks would be unable to use the county-maintained road.{{cite news |last=Craig |first=John |date=August 12, 1991 |title=Springdale residents call for end to phone charges |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99174264/springdale-residents-call-for-end-to/ A6]–[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99174269/springdale-residents-call-for-end-to/ A7] |work=The Spokesman-Review |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99174264/springdale-residents-call-for-end-to/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=April 5, 2022}} The proposal was rejected by the state legislature and resurfaced three years later, where it also failed to gain traction.{{cite news |last=Craig |first=John |date=May 18, 1994 |title=Springdale fights again plan to give away road |page=B3 |work=The Spokesman-Review |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79780654/springdale-fights-again-plan-to-give/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=June 17, 2021}} In response to safety concerns and 19 collisions from 2017 to 2022, WSDOT constructed a roundabout to replace the eastern terminus of SR 292 at US 395 in Loon Lake.{{cite news |last=Perez |first=Vanessa |date=August 16, 2022 |title='I think it's completely pointless': WSDOT to add new roundabout to busy intersection in Loon Lake |url=https://www.kxly.com/i-think-its-completely-pointless-wsdot-to-add-new-roundabout-to-busy-intersection-in-loon-lake/ |publisher=KXLY |accessdate=October 8, 2022}} The roundabout was constructed beginning in September 2022 as part of a larger $12 million repaving project and opened to traffic in early October.{{cite news |last=Corrin |first=Noah |date=September 19, 2022 |title=Roundabout construction begins at the intersection of US-395 and SR-292 in Loon Lake |url=https://www.fox28spokane.com/roundabout-construction-begins-at-the-intersection-of-us-395-and-sr-292-in-loon-lake/ |publisher=Fox 28 Spokane |accessdate=October 8, 2022}}{{cite news |last=Wixey |first=Will |date=October 3, 2022 |title=US 395 Loon Lake roundabout now fully open |url=https://www.kxly.com/us-395-loon-lake-roundabout-now-fully-open/ |publisher=KXLY |accessdate=October 8, 2022}}

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|location=Springdale

|mile=0.00

|road={{jct|state=WA|SR|231|name1=Main Street|city1=Reardan|city2=Chewelah}}

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|mile=5.91

|road={{jct|state=WA|US|395|city1=Colville|city2=Spokane}}

|notes=Roundabout; continues as Garden Spot Road

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• [https://www.angelfire.com/wa2/hwysofwastate/sr292.html Highways of Washington State]

{{State highways in Washington related to US 395}}

292

Category:Transportation in Stevens County, Washington