Template:Main Page/Selected articles/26
Interstate 82 is an Interstate Highway in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States that passes through parts of Washington and Oregon. It runs southeasterly for 144 miles (232 km) from I-90 in Ellensburg, Washington, to I-84 in Hermiston, Oregon. The highway passes through Yakima, the Yakima Valley agricultural region, and the Tri-Cities area, also serving as part of the link between Seattle and Boise, Idaho. It crosses the Columbia River on the Umatilla Bridge (pictured), which opened in 1955 and was later twinned. The corridor was originally used by several state and national highways until I-82 was created in late 1957. The first section to be constructed was a bypass of Yakima, opened in 1963, which was extended north to Ellensburg on November 12, 1971. The Yakima Valley section, connecting Union Gap to Prosser, was constructed between 1977 and 1982. The Tri-Cities bypass opened in 1986, delayed by a lengthy routing dispute, and the final section was completed in 1988. (Full article...)