Washington State Route 538
{{Short description|State highway in Skagit County, Washington, US}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox road
|state=WA
|type=SR
|route=538
|alternate_name=College Way
|section=780
|map=Washington State Route 538.svg
|map_alt=A map of western Skagit County that shows the current route SR 538 highlighted in red.
|map_notes=SR 538 highlighted in red
|length_mi=3.62
|length_round=2
|direction_a=West
|terminus_a={{jct|state=WA|I|5}} in Mount Vernon
|direction_b=East
|terminus_b={{jct|state=WA|SR|9}} near Mount Vernon
|counties=Skagit
|spur_type=I
|spur_of=5
|previous_type=SR
|previous_route=536
|next_type=SR
|next_route=539
}}
State Route 538 (SR 538, alternatively named College Way) is a {{convert|3.62|mi|km|2|adj=on}} long state highway located within the northern area of Mount Vernon city limits and the urban growth boundary, located in Skagit County, a subdivision of the U.S. state of Washington. The highway, which has existed as a county road since 1911, travels from {{nowrap|Interstate 5}} (I-5) in the west, passing former {{nowrap|U.S. Route 99}} (US 99), now Riverside Drive, and Skagit Valley College's main Mount Vernon campus before terminating at a roundabout with {{nowrap|SR 9}}.
Before being designated Secondary State Highway 1G (SSH 1G) in 1937, the current roadway that is now SR 538 was a county road through farmland for 26 years. SSH 1G traveled between {{nowrap|Primary State Highway 1}} (PSH 1), also known as US 99, and {{nowrap|SSH 1A}} until 1964, when the current designation of SR 538 was created. US 99 was bypassed by I-5 after 1966 and became Riverside Drive. The roundabout at SR 9 was constructed in 2007 while the Riverside Drive intersection was widened in 2009.
Route description
State Route 538 (SR 538) begins at the {{nowrap|Interstate 5}} (I-5) interchange in northern Mount Vernon located south of the Skagit River.{{cite web |author=Washington State Department of Transportation |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tdo/Interchange/pdfs/SR005/005X227.pdf |title=SR 5– Exit 227; Junction SR 538/College Way |date=June 25, 2009 |access-date=October 3, 2009 |archive-date=October 8, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061008161849/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tdo/interchange/pdfs/SR005/005X227.pdf |url-status=dead }} The roadway, which handled a daily average of 27,000 motorists at the interchange in 2008,{{cite web |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tdo/PDF_and_ZIP_Files/Annual_Traffic_Report_2008.pdf |title=2008 Annual Traffic Report |author=Washington State Department of Transportation |year=2008 |access-date=October 3, 2009 |archive-date=June 16, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616135704/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tdo/PDF_and_ZIP_Files/Annual_Traffic_Report_2008.pdf |url-status=dead }} is named College Way and travels east through a commercial zone, passing Riverside Drive, the former route of {{nowrap|U.S. Route 99}} (US 99),{{cite web |url=http://www.trantecheng.com/riverside.htm |author=TranTech Engineering, LLC |title=Old 99 (Riverside Drive) Improvements – Cities of Mount Vernon & Burlington |year=2008 |access-date=October 3, 2009 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} and crossing a set of rail tracks used by BNSF Railway.{{cite map |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |title=Washington State Railroad System |year=2008 |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/1DFCBFA0-1A9D-4838-A74F-7841BF22E9C3/0/Railmap_update_Sept2008.pdf |access-date=October 3, 2009 |archive-date=January 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105154044/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/1DFCBFA0-1A9D-4838-A74F-7841BF22E9C3/0/Railmap_update_Sept2008.pdf |url-status=dead }} Transitioning from a commercial to residential area, the Mount Vernon campus of the Skagit Valley College, located on the north side of the highway, is passed and eventually SR 538 leaves Mount Vernon city limits.{{cite web |url=http://www.skagit.edu/news3.asp_Q_pagenumber_E_2328 |title=Locations |author=Skagit Valley College |author-link=Skagit Valley College |year=2009 |access-date=October 3, 2009 |archive-date=September 18, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090918111757/http://www.skagit.edu/news3.asp_Q_pagenumber_E_2328 |url-status=dead }}{{cite map |publisher=Skagit Valley College |title=Mount Vernon Campus |url=http://www.skagit.edu/images/color_mvCampus.pdf |date=March 2009 |access-date=October 3, 2009 |archive-date=October 9, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091009200421/http://www.skagit.edu/images/color_mvCampus.pdf |url-status=dead }} The road turns southeast and ends at a roundabout with {{nowrap|SR 9}} within Mount Vernon's urban growth boundary.{{google maps |title=State Route 538 |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=W+College+Way%2FWA-538&daddr=WA-9&hl=en&geocode=FbwS4wId1jW1-A%3BFfD74gIdymK2-A&mra=ls&sll=48.43061,-122.261524&sspn=0.005005,0.009624&ie=UTF8&ll=48.429998,-122.311993&spn=0.080074,0.15398&z=13 |access-date=October 3, 2009}}{{cite map |publisher=City of Mount Vernon |title=City of Mount Vernon 2007 |url=http://www.ci.mount-vernon.wa.us/imageuploads/Media-2164.pdf |year=2007 |scale=1" = 1000' |access-date=October 3, 2009 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
History
Originating as a county road by 1911,{{cite map |publisher=Washington State University |title=Mount Vernon (1911) |cartography=United States Geological Survey |url=http://content.wsulibs.wsu.edu/cgi-bin/pview.exe?CISOROOT=/maps&CISOPTR=447&CISORESTMP=/qbuild/buildplate11.html&CISOVIEWTMP=/qbuild/buildplate12.html&CISOROWS=2&CISOCOLS=5&CISOCLICK=title:subjec:creato:date:type |scale=1:125,000 |series=Washington 1;125,000 topographic quadrangles |year=1911 |access-date=October 3, 2009 |archive-date=August 29, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060829053752/http://content.wsulibs.wsu.edu/cgi-bin/pview.exe?CISOROOT=%2Fmaps&CISOPTR=447&CISORESTMP=%2Fqbuild%2Fbuildplate11.html&CISOVIEWTMP=%2Fqbuild%2Fbuildplate12.html&CISOROWS=2&CISOCOLS=5&CISOCLICK=title%3Asubjec%3Acreato%3Adate%3Atype |url-status=dead }} SR 538 was designated Secondary State Highway 1G (SSH 1G) in 1937. SSH 1G ran from {{nowrap|Primary State Highway 1}} (PSH 1), co-signed as {{nowrap|U.S. Route 99}} (US 99), to {{nowrap|SSH 1A}}.{{cite book |author=Washington State Legislature |title=Session Laws of the State of Washington |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G784AAAAIAAJ |access-date=October 3, 2009 |edition=1937 |date=March 18, 1937 |publisher=Washington State Legislature |location=Olympia, Washington |page=935 |chapter=Chapter 207: Classification of Public Highways |quote=(g) Secondary State Highway No. 1G; beginning at Mt. Vernon on Primary State Highway No. 1, thence in an easterly direction by the most feasible route to a junction with Secondary State Highway No. 1A.}} During the 1964 highway renumbering, SR 538 was created to replace SSH 1G, PSH 1 and US 99 were replaced with {{nowrap|Interstate 5}} (I-5) and {{nowrap|SR 9}} replaced SSH 1A.{{cite web |title=Identification of State Highways |url=https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2005/04/26/Identification-of-state-highways.pdf |author=C. G. Prahl |publisher=Washington State Highway Commission, Department of Highways |date=December 1, 1965 |access-date=October 3, 2009 |archive-date=October 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030155114/https://wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2005/04/26/Identification-of-state-highways.pdf |url-status=dead }} I-5 was not built until after 1966 and the western terminus of SR 538 was still US 99.{{cite map |publisher=University of Texas at Austin |title=Victoria, 1966 |cartography=United States Geological Survey |year=1966 |url=http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/250k/txu-pclmaps-topo-us-victoria-1966.jpg |scale=1:250,000 |access-date=October 3, 2009}} Between early June and late July 2007,{{cite press release |title=Roundabout Construction Begins near Mount Vernon |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2007/06/1_MtVernonRoundabout.htm |date=June 1, 2007 |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=October 3, 2009}}{{cite press release |title=New Roundabout Open to Traffic East of Mount Vernon |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2007/07/27_sr538roundaboutopen.htm |date=July 27, 2007 |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=October 3, 2009}} the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) constructed a roundabout at the SR 9 and Schopf Lane intersection,{{cite web |title=SR 9 – SR 538 Intersection Improvements – Complete August 2007 |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr9/sr538intersectionimprovements/ |year=2007 |author=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=October 3, 2009 |archive-date=September 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929033119/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr9/sr538intersectionimprovements/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite map |title=SR 9 – SR 538 Intersection Improvements |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR9/SR538IntersectionImprovements/Map.htm |year=2005 |cartography=Tele Atlas |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=October 3, 2009 |archive-date=October 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012041956/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR9/SR538IntersectionImprovements/Map.htm |url-status=dead }} the first in Skagit County. The new roundabout reduced the length of SR 538 by {{convert|0.05|mi|km|2|adj=on}}.
In early 2009, between I-5 and 18th Street, WSDOT repaved the highway and expanded the Riverside Drive intersection.{{cite web |title=SR 536/SR 538 – Paving |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR536/SR538Paving/default.htm |year=2009 |author=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=October 3, 2009 |archive-date=October 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007172148/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR536/SR538Paving/default.htm |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |title=Construction to begin in spring on College Way/Riverside intersection |author=Staff writer |url=http://www.goskagit.com/home/article/construction_to_begin_in_spring_on_college_way_riverside_intersection/ |newspaper=Skagit Valley Herald |date=January 24, 2009 |access-date=October 3, 2009 |archive-date=February 7, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207234657/http://www.goskagit.com/home/article/construction_to_begin_in_spring_on_college_way_riverside_intersection/ |url-status=dead }} A city-led project to widen the section of College Way that passes under I-5 at the western terminus of SR 538 began construction in December 2018 and was completed in 2020. The street was expanded to six lanes, including dedicated left turn lanes and two through lanes that are separated from the rest of traffic by the columns of the underpass.{{cite news |last=Stone |first=Brandon |date=December 14, 2018 |title=Work begins on College Way widening project |url=https://www.goskagit.com/skagit/work-begins-on-college-way-widening-project/article_d69504d2-0a32-55df-9537-3f68657a1c2d.html |work=Skagit Valley Herald |access-date=November 25, 2019}}
Major intersections
{{WAinttop|county=Skagit|length_ref=}}
{{WAint
|location=Mount Vernon
|lspan=2
|mile=0.00
|road={{jct|state=WA|I|5|city1=Seattle}}, Vancouver, BC
|notes=Western terminus, interchange; continues west as West College Way}}
{{WAint
|mile=0.27
|road=Riverside Drive
|notes=Former US 99}}
{{WAint
|location=none
|mile=3.62
|road={{jct|state=WA|SR|9|city1=Sedro-Woolley|city2=Arlington}}
|notes=Eastern terminus, roundabout}}
{{jctbtm}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}
- [https://www.angelfire.com/wa2/hwysofwastate/sr538.html Highways of Washington State]
{{State highways in Washington related to I-5}}
{{good article}}