Washington State Route 31

State Route 31 (SR 31) is {{convert|26.79|mi|km|3}} long within Pend Oreille County, Washington from {{nowrap|SR 20}} in Tiger north to {{nowrap|British Columbia Highway 6}} (BC 6) at the Canada–US border, located north of Metaline Falls. The highway parallels the Pend Oreille River for most of its route and connects Tiger, Ione, Metaline and Metaline Falls with British Columbia.{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=WA-20&daddr=48.999894,-117.29992&hl=en&geocode=FTbg5gId9ogA-Q%3B&mra=mi&mrsp=1,0&sz=17&sll=49.000317,-117.298225&sspn=0.003315,0.006866&ie=UTF8&ll=48.860198,-117.343597&spn=0.425538,0.878906&z=10 |title=State Route 31 |access-date=March 22, 2009}} The route also parallels the Pend Oreille Valley Railroad from Tiger to Metaline Falls; the railroad extends south to Newport along SR 20 and east to Dover, Idaho.{{cite map |title=Washington State Railroad System |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/8CFBC47D-3549-4CB9-9DE6-14CE9739671F/0/RailSystemMap_Aug2007.pdf |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |date=August 2007 |format=PDF |cartography=U.S. Geological Survey |access-date=March 22, 2009}}

SR 31 starts at an intersection with SR 20 and Tiger East Road in the small community of Tiger. The road turns northwest after the intersection and then curves north after intersecting Vogel Road. After crossing the railroad, the highway forms the eastern boundary of Ione Municipal Airport and later passes Sullivan Lake Road. At the Sullivan Lake Road junction, SR 31 is named McKay Road and crosses the Ione Millpond to enter the city of Ione. There, the route is renamed Second Street and leaves the city to parallel the Pend Oreille Valley Railroad and the shoreline of the Pend Oreille River. The name of the road changes to Lehigh Avenue, a name that stays with SR 31 until the Canada–US border. The railroad crosses the road and later bridges the Pend Oreille River, as the highway turns northwest and reverts northeast. The route reaches Metaline and curves southeast to cross the Pend Oreille River on the Pend Oreille Bridge into Metaline Falls. After turning south and back north, the highway starts to curve multiple times until intersecting Sullivan Lake Road and being directed northeast. The road turns north and crosses two streams before curving northwest and then northeast to Lake Lucerene. After passing Lake Lucerene, SR 31 passes Crescent Lake and Boundary Lake before ending at the Canada–US border. SR 31's northern end at the Canada–US border is the easternmost crossing in Washington and is located east of Crawford State Park.{{cite web |url=http://www.parks.wa.gov/parks/?selectedpark=Crawford |title=Crawford State Park (page 1 of 2) |author=Washington State Parks|author-link=Washington State Parks |access-date=March 22, 2009}}

Image:WA-PSH6.svg}} (1937–1964)]]

In 1923, a system of roads to connect cities throughout Washington was established.{{cite book |title=Session Laws of the State of Washington |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G784AAAAIAAJ |access-date=March 22, 2009 |edition=1923 |year=1923 |publisher=Washington State Legislature |location=Olympia, Washington |page=629 |chapter=Chapter 185}} One of the roads, State Road 6, followed a route from Spokane to the Canada–US border. The road was named the Pend O'Reille Highway, a name that would identify the route until 1964. The state road system was later expanded into a new system in 1937.

During the creation of the Primary and Secondary Highways in 1937, the road that was State Road 6 became {{nowrap|Primary State Highway 6}} (PSH 6).{{cite book |title=Session Laws of the State of Washington |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dcQ4AAAAIAAJ |access-date=March 22, 2009 |edition=1937 |year=1937 |publisher=Washington State Legislature |location=Olympia, Washington}} PSH 6 ran from {{nowrap|U.S. Route 10}} (US 10) and {{nowrap|US 195}} (future {{nowrap|US 2}}), north to the Canada–US border; the route was co-signed as US 195 from Spokane to Newport. US 2 was signed over PSH 6 from Spokane to Newport in 1948 and the route became SR 31 from Newport to the Canada–US border during the 1964 highway renumbering. During the renumbering, WSDOT replaced the previous system of Primary and Secondary Highways with a new system called state routes, which is still in use today.{{cite web |url=https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2005/04/26/Identification-of-state-highways.pdf |title=Identification of State Highways, Part 1 |author=C. G. Prahl, Washington State Highway Commission |date=December 1, 1965 |access-date=June 24, 2009 |archive-date=October 30, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030044024/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/6836215D-E301-43F3-895A-472BD2FDE86A/0/Identification.pdf |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2005/04/26/state-route-numbers.pdf |title=Identification of State Highways, Part 2 |author=C. G. Prahl, Washington State Highway Commission |date=December 1, 1965 |access-date=June 24, 2009 |archive-date=October 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030023216/https://wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2005/04/26/state-route-numbers.pdf |url-status=dead }}

Image:Washington State Route 31 (1964).png

SR 31's previous route ran a total of {{convert|73.31|mi|km|2}} from Newport northwest to Tiger and north to the Canada–US border at {{nowrap|BC 6}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tdo/PDF_and_ZIP_Files/1970_ATR.pdf |title=1970 Traffic Report |author=Washington State Department of Transportation |year=1970 |access-date=March 22, 2009 |archive-date=June 25, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625093148/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tdo/PDF_and_ZIP_Files/1970_ATR.pdf |url-status=dead }} The route started in Newport at the intersection of W. Walnut Street (SR 31 northbound and US 2 eastbound) and N. Union Avenue (US 2 westbound). Next, the highway went northwest and left Newport to parallel the Pend Oreille River for the rest of its route.{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=N+Union+Ave%2FUS-2&daddr=48.685124,-117.405653&hl=en&geocode=FcA63wIdnhIG-Q%3B&mra=mi&mrsp=1,0&sz=14&sll=48.686258,-117.404623&sspn=0.032128,0.065918&ie=UTF8&ll=48.450155,-117.112885&spn=0.516456,1.054688&z=10 |title=Former State Route 31 |access-date=March 22, 2009}} The road would also join the Pend Oreille Valley Railroad north to the current southern terminus. SR 31 turned west and passed Lake Newport State Park, located on the shores of the river,{{cite web |url=http://www.stateparks.com/lake_newport.html |title=Lake Newport State Park, a Washington State Park |author=State Parks.com |access-date=March 22, 2009}} before curving northwest and entering the community of Dilkena. From Dilkena, the road goes north to pass SR 311's northern terminus in Usk and pass the towns of Cusick, Locke and Jared. The highway turned east at Jared and back northwest at Ruby. After Blue Slide and Lost Creek, SR 31 would continue north out of Tiger, which was the eastern terminus of {{nowrap|SR 294}}. SR 31 from Newport to Tiger later became SR 20 after it was extended on SR 294 and SR 31 in 1973.

{{main|Washington State Route 211}}

Image:WA-311.svg

From 1964 until 1973, SR 31 had an auxiliary route called State Route 311. The highway ran from US 2 west of Newport, north {{convert|15.24|mi|km}} to SR 31 in Usk. The road was entirely located within Pend Oreille County; the southern terminus was located east of Pend Oreille State Park on US 2 and west of Diamond Lake and the community of the same name.{{cite web |url=http://www.stateparks.com/pend_oreille.html |title=Pend Oreille State Park, a Washington State Park |author=State Parks.com |access-date=March 22, 2009}} SR 311 advanced north past Sacheen Lake and Davis Lake to the northern terminus,{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=48.096999,-117.279053&daddr=WA-211&hl=en&geocode=%3BFU4U4QIdsGMC-Q&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=13&sll=48.078194,-117.264633&sspn=0.065029,0.131836&ie=UTF8&ll=48.208659,-117.223434&spn=0.259455,0.527344&z=11 |title=Former State Route 311 |access-date=March 22, 2009}} which was {{convert|2.39|mi|km|2}} south of Cusick. SR 311 was established as {{nowrap|SSH 6B}} in 1937 during the creation of the primary and secondary highway system. In the 1964 renumbering, SR 311 was created over SSH 6B. When SR 20 was extended over SR 294 and SR 31, SR 311 became {{nowrap|SR 211}}, which it is still currently designated as.

{{WAinttop|county=Pend Oreille|length_ref=}}

{{WAint

|location=Tiger

|mile=0.00

|road={{jct|state=WA|SR|20|city1=Newport|city2=Colville|city3=Republic|name1=North Cascades Highway}}

|notes=Southern terminus; former SR 294}}

{{WAint

|location=none

|mile=26.79

|road={{jct|province=BC|Hwy|6}}

|notes=Northern terminus at Canada–United States border }}

{{jctbtm}}

{{reflist}}

{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}

• [https://www.angelfire.com/wa2/hwysofwastate/sr031.html Highways of Washington State]

{{good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington State Route 031}}

031

031

Category:Transportation in Pend Oreille County, Washington