State Route 902 (SR 902), also named the Gold Star Memorial Highway, is a
state highway located entirely in
Spokane County
Spokane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 539,339, making it the fourth-most populous county in Washington. The largest city and county seat is Spokane, the second largest cit ...
, Washington, United States. It forms a loop that connects
Medical Lake
Medical Lake is a small city in Spokane County, eastern Washington, United States. At the 2010 census, the population was 5,060. The city is the site of a psychiatric hospital, Eastern State Hospital, and of Fairchild Air Force Base, two major ...
and
Eastern State Hospital to
Interstate 90 (I-90) at both ends. The highway has existed since at least 1931, and before the
1964 state highway renumbering, it was numbered Secondary State Highway 11D.
Route description
SR 902 forms a loop between two interchanges on
I-90, a major freeway between
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
and
Spokane
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Ca ...
that is
concurrent
Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to:
Law
* Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea''
* Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
with
U.S. Route 395
U.S. Route 395 (US 395) is a U.S. Route in the western United States. The southern terminus of the route is in the Mojave Desert at Interstate 15 near Hesperia. The northern terminus is at the Canada–US border near Laurier, where the road ...
(US 395) through part of
Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington is the region of the U.S. state of Washington located east of the Cascade Range. It contains the city of Spokane (the second largest city in the state), the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the Hanf ...
.
Its western terminus is at I-90 exit 264, an interchange south of Clear Lake; the roadway continues east beyond the freeway to
Cheney as Salnave Road.
The highway travels around
wetlands at the end of the lake and turns north to traverse part of a
prairie
Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...
.
SR 902 passes Lakeland Village, an educational facility for developmentally disabled people, and enters the city of Medical Lake.
The highway passes
Eastern State Hospital, a state psychiatric facility, and continues northeast to follow the shore of Medical Lake. SR 902 turns north onto Lefevre Street, which travels through the city to a junction with Brooks Road near
Medical Lake High School
Medical Lake High School is a four-year Public school (government funded), public secondary school in Medical Lake, Washington, Medical Lake, Washington (state), Washington, the sole traditional high school in the Medical Lake School District (#326 ...
. The highway turns east onto Brooks Road, which continues west to the
Washington State Veterans Cemetery,
and follows a section of the
Washington Eastern Railroad out of the city. SR 902 passes the north end of Silver Lake and traverses a prairie on the south side of
Fairchild Air Force Base.
The highway turns due east near a
roundabout with Craig Road and approaches
Spokane International Airport
Spokane International Airport is a commercial airport located approximately west-southwest of downtown Spokane, Washington, United States. It is the primary airport serving the Inland Northwest, which consists of 30 counties and includes area ...
.
At a roundabout with Geiger Boulevard, SR 902 turns southeast and terminates at an interchange with I-90 and US 395 near several
truck stop
A truck stop, known as a service station in the United Kingdom, and a travel center by major chains in the United States, is a commercial facility which provides refueling, rest ( parking), and often ready-made food and other services to motor ...
s and
distribution center
A distribution center for a set of products is a warehouse or other specialized building, often with refrigeration or air conditioning, which is stocked with products (goods) to be redistributed to retailers, to wholesalers, or directly to co ...
s.
The
dogbone interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road.
Design
The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...
comprises two roundabouts and a four-lane overpass split between two structures.
SR 902 is maintained by the
Washington State Department of Transportation
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT or WashDOT, both ) is a governmental agency that constructs, maintains, and regulates the use of transportation infrastructure in the U.S. state of Washington. Established in 1905, it is ...
(WSDOT), which conducts an annual survey on state highways to measure traffic volume in terms of
average annual daily traffic
Annual average daily traffic, abbreviated AADT, is a measure used primarily in transportation planning, transportation engineering and retail location selection. Traditionally, it is the total volume of vehicle traffic of a highway or road for a ...
. Average traffic volumes on the highway in 2016 ranged from a minimum of 1,500 vehicles at its western terminus near Clear Lake to a maximum of 11,000 at its eastern terminus. It is officially designated as the Gold Star Memorial Highway, named for the gold star
service banner
A service flag or service banner is a banner that family members of those serving in the United States Armed Forces can display. The flag or banner is officially defined as a white field with a red border, with a blue star for each family member s ...
displayed by families of deceased soldiers.
History
The first roadway linking now I-90/US 395 and Medical Lake first appeared on maps in 1931.
By the 1933 map, the remainder of the highway was present, linking back to I-90/US 395.
Prior to the
1964 state highway renumbering, SR 902 was numbered Secondary State Highway 11D, a
branch
A branch, sometimes called a ramus in botany, is a woody structural member connected to the central trunk of a tree (or sometimes a shrub). Large branches are known as boughs and small branches are known as twigs. The term ''twig'' usually ...
of
Primary State Highway 11, the predecessor to US 395 through the region.
An interchange with I-90 east of Medical Lake was completed and opened to traffic in 1965 as part of the freeway's construction between Four Lakes and Spokane. In 1989, the state government completed reconstruction of the eastern of SR 902, which included wider
shoulder
The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone) as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder mak ...
s and new
guardrail
Guard rail, guardrails, or protective guarding, in general, are a boundary feature and may be a means to prevent or deter access to dangerous or off-limits areas while allowing light and visibility in a greater way than a fence. Common shapes ...
s. The highway was extended south from Lakeland Village to the Salnave Road interchange in 1991.
WSDOT installed centerline
rumble strip
Rumble strips (also known as sleeper lines or alert strips) are a road safety feature to alert inattentive drivers of potential danger, by causing a tactile vibration and audible rumbling transmitted through the wheels into the vehicle interior. ...
s to the rural sections of SR 902 in 2009 as part of safety improvements to several highways in Spokane County. The first roundabout on the highway, at Craig Road, was added during a repaving project in 2018 following several collisions at the old intersection. Three more roundabouts were constructed as part of a project to rebuild the eastern interchange with I-90 to address increased congestion from new homes and businesses in the area.
A second overpass with a
shared-use path
A shared-use path, mixed-use path or multi-use pathway is a path which is 'designed to accommodate the movement of pedestrians and cyclists'. Examples of shared-use paths include sidewalks designated as shared-use, bridleways and rail trails. A ...
opened alongside the roundabouts in 2021 at a cost of $20 million.
SR 902 was designated as the Gold Star Memorial Highway by a unanimous vote of the
Washington State Transportation Commission
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT or WashDOT, both ) is a governmental agency that constructs, maintains, and regulates the use of transportation infrastructure in the U.S. state of Washington. Established in 1905, it is ...
in September 2020. The highway was chosen due to its role as the primary access to the
Washington State Veterans Cemetery; a set of signs were dedicated in March 2021.
Major intersections
References
External links
Highways of Washington State
{{State highways in Washington related to I-90
902
Transportation in Spokane County, Washington