I went out Saturday morning and drove the drives. The only hitch was that I was unable to hit up State Route 519 as much of its length was being used for some kind of walk or something.
That’s been moved to the “ferry drive” where I would have had to drive its length anyway to get to the ferry terminal.
Still was able to get I-90 from its western terminus though, so that’s what’s important.
On Thursday I’ll head over to Ocean Shores/etc. and do what I said I’d do a week ago.
In answer to the “Will I drive the beaches?” The answer is no.
State Highways are those which are legally defined in legislature and assigned a route number. This includes the ferry routes (see State Route 339, a ferry-only route).
State Route 115 is defined as “Beginning at Ocean Shores thence in an easterly and northerly direction by the most feasible route to a junction with state route number 109 in the vicinity south of Ocean City.” It is also signed and logged as ending well before the beach.
I’m not quite sure where this rumor that’s been circulating around the internet came about that the beaches are part of the state route system, but they are NOT. Here is the legal definition of what defines a state route is. I’ve purused a number of other legal chapters (79, 91), and have come to the following conclusion.
They are NOT part of the state highway system (despite the wikipedia page), and are simply state funded beaches in which driving is legal.
State Routes require legislative approval under Title 47 Chapter 17 of the Revised Code of Washington (with the sole exception of unofficial route 200, in which no new roadway is added to the state route system. Route 200 was, in the 70’s, multiplexed with US-2 from the Idaho border to I-90 for its entire length to provide a conclusion to the 5 state long State Route 200 from Duluth MN to Spokane. If roadway is added, it has to be legally approved.). These beaches feature no such approval, and for all intents and purposes are simply state-owned beaches in which driving is allowed, not part of the highway system.
