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Interstate 182 is an east–west auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Washington. I-182 is 15 miles (24 km) long and serves as a connector from I-82 to the Tri-Cities region. The highway was built after business leaders in the Tri-Cities began lobbying for a freeway in 1958 after early alignments for I-82 were routed away from the area. I-182 was created by the federal government in 1969 as a compromise to the routing dispute, which allowed for direct access to the Tri-Cities and a bypass for other traffic. Construction on I-182 was scheduled to begin in 1971, but was delayed by opposition from conservation groups, disputes over interchange locations, and a funding freeze in 1980. The first section to be built, over the Yakima River west of Richland, began construction in late 1980 and opened to traffic three years later. The Interstate 182 Bridge over the Columbia River opened in November 1984. The final sections of the freeway, between I-82 and Richland, opened to traffic in March 1986. (Full article...)