Editing Interstate 82 (section)

{{Short description|Interstate in Washington and Oregon}}
{{About|the current highway|the former highway in Pennsylvania and New York, now part of I-380 and I-80|Interstate 82 (Pennsylvania–New York)|the proposed highway between Hartford and Providence|Interstate 84 in Connecticut#1970s route east of Hartford|the video game|Interstate '82}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox road
|country=USA
|type=I
|route=82
|map={{maplink-road|from=Interstate 82.map}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=I-82 highlighted in red
|length_mi=143.58
|length_ref=<ref name="FHWA log">{{cite web |date=December 31, 2017 |title=Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways as of December 31, 2017 |url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/interstate_highway_system/routefinder/table01.cfm |publisher=[[Federal Highway Administration]] |access-date=February 17, 2018 |archive-date=September 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920000348/https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/interstate_highway_system/routefinder/table01.cfm |url-status=live }}</ref>
|established=October 17, 1957
|history=Completed in 1988
|tourist={{jct|country=USA|LCT}}
|direction_a=West
|terminus_a={{jct|state=WA|I|90|US|97}} in [[Ellensburg, Washington|Ellensburg, WA]]
|junction={{plainlist|<!-- Major junctions only; Only 5-8 most major intersections and cities belong here; please read [[WP:USRD/STDS]] for more info -->
* {{Jct|state=WA|US|12}} in [[Yakima, Washington|Yakima, WA]]
* {{Jct|state=WA|SR|24}} in Yakima, WA
* {{Jct|state=WA|US|97}} in [[Union Gap, Washington|Union Gap, WA]]
* {{Jct|state=WA|I|182|US|12}} near [[Richland, Washington|Richland, WA]]
* {{Jct|state=WA|US|395}} in [[Kennewick, Washington|Kennewick, WA]]
* {{Jct|state=OR|US|395|US|730}} in [[Umatilla, Oregon|Umatilla, OR]]
}}
|direction_b=East
|terminus_b={{jct|state=OR|I|84|US|30}} near [[Hermiston, Oregon|Hermiston, OR]]
|states=[[Washington (state)|Washington]], [[Oregon]]
|counties={{ubl|'''WA:''' [[Kittitas County, Washington|Kittitas]], [[Yakima County, Washington|Yakima]], [[Benton County, Washington|Benton]]|'''OR:''' [[Umatilla County, Oregon|Umatilla]]}}
|browse={{or browse|previous_type=OR|previous_route=78|route=[[State highways in Oregon|OR]]|next_type=OR|next_route=82}}
{{wa browse|previous_type=WA|previous_route=41|route=[[List of Washington State Routes|WA]]|next_type=I|next_route=90}}
}}

'''Interstate 82''' ('''I-82''') is an [[Interstate Highway System|Interstate Highway]] in the [[Pacific Northwest]] region of the United States that travels through parts of [[Washington (state)|Washington]] and [[Oregon]]. It runs {{convert|144|mi|km|0}} from its northwestern terminus at [[Interstate 90 in Washington|I-90]] in [[Ellensburg, Washington]], to its southeastern terminus at [[Interstate 84 in Oregon|I-84]] in [[Hermiston, Oregon]]. The highway passes through [[Yakima, Washington|Yakima]] and the [[Tri-Cities, Washington|Tri-Cities]], and is also part of the link between [[Seattle]] and [[Salt Lake City]], [[Utah]]. I-82 travels [[concurrency (road)|concurrently]] with [[U.S. Route 97 in Washington|U.S. Route 97]] (US&nbsp;97) between Ellensburg and [[Union Gap, Washington|Union Gap]]; [[U.S. Route 12 in Washington|US&nbsp;12]] from Yakima to the Tri-Cities; and [[U.S. Route 395|US&nbsp;395]] from [[Kennewick, Washington|Kennewick]] to [[Umatilla, Oregon]].

I-82 primarily serves the [[Yakima River|Yakima Valley]] agricultural region, following the [[Yakima River|Yakima]] and [[Columbia River|Columbia]] rivers southeastward to the Tri-Cities. The highway enters the valley from the north by crossing the [[Manastash Ridge]], which separates Yakima from the [[Kittitas Valley]]. I-82 bypasses the Tri-Cities by traveling southwest around [[Richland, Washington|Richland]] and Kennewick and then turns south to cross the Columbia River on the [[Umatilla Bridge]]. Its only [[List of auxiliary Interstate Highways|auxiliary route]], [[Interstate 182|I-182]], connects the highway to Richland and [[Pasco, Washington|Pasco]] in the Tri-Cities.

The I-82 corridor was originally used by several state and national highways, including the [[Inland Empire Highway]] and [[U.S. Route 410|US&nbsp;410]], which were built in the early 20th century. The federal government created I-82 in late 1957 to serve military facilities in the region, replacing an earlier designation for what is now I-84. The first section of I-82 to be constructed was the easterly bypass of Yakima, which opened in 1963 and was gradually extended north to Ellensburg by 1971. The Yakima Valley section, connecting Union Gap to [[Prosser, Washington|Prosser]], was constructed between 1977 and 1982.

The routing of the highway between Prosser and I-84 was very controversial among Tri-Cities residents, who lobbied for a longer I-82 alignment to serve them. Oregon legislators and highway officials remained opposed to a routing that bypassed Umatilla, leading to several attempts at finding a compromise along the [[Wallula Gap]] or in other areas southeast of the Tri-Cities. In 1973, Oregon and Washington adopted a federal compromise to build I-82 through Umatilla and around the outskirts of the Tri-Cities with a [[spur route]] (I-182) to serve the area directly. The Tri-Cities section opened in 1986 while in Oregon, the final section of I-82 was completed in 1988. In the early 2000s, Oregon highway officials examined plans to extend I-82 farther south through [[eastern Oregon]] and towards [[California]], but they were not considered for further study.