Editing Interstate 705 (section)

==History==
[[File:I-705 approaching WA-509.jpg|thumb|right|I-705 northbound approaching SR&nbsp;509]]

The state government's plans for a regional [[tollway]] connecting Tacoma to [[Seattle]] and [[Everett, Washington|Everett]] in the early 1950s included a bypass of [[Downtown Tacoma]] with several connecting interchanges.<ref>{{cite news |last=Myers |first=Bob |date=September 18, 1955 |title=City to have Only Six Access Points to Road |page=A4 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-city-to-have-only-six-a/150081612/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=June 25, 2024}}</ref> The plan later formed the basis of [[Interstate 5 in Washington|I-5]], which would be constructed using funds from the [[Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956]] instead of requiring a toll.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wilma |first=David |date=September 4, 2002 |title=Interstate 5 is completed from Everett to Tacoma on January 31, 1967. |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/1354 |work=[[HistoryLink]] |accessdate=June 25, 2024}}</ref> In 1957, city officials from Tacoma proposed the construction of a downtown connector that would travel north from the Pacific Avenue interchange on I-5 (where [[Washington State Route 7|SR&nbsp;7]] terminates) and improve vehicular access to the central business district. A route along A Street was selected for preliminary studies of either an elevated freeway or [[one-way couplet]].<ref name="Gibbs">{{cite news |last=Gibbs |first=Al |date=May 18, 1971 |title=Document Details History Of Tacoma Spur Freeway |page=3 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-document-details-histor/150081121/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=June 25, 2024}}</ref>

The opening of the [[Tacoma Mall]] along I-5 in 1965 caused a reduction in the number of retailers in Downtown Tacoma, which remained only accessible via local streets from the freeway.<ref>{{cite news |last=Heberlein |first=Greg |date=December 3, 1989 |title=State of the State, Part&nbsp;7: Second Chance |page=E1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The lost business, combined with worsening congestion in Downtown Tacoma, prompted downtown retailers to ask the state government for an improved connection to I-5. The state Department of Highways had advanced their study into a downtown connector as part of SR&nbsp;509 that would become an eventual freeway link.<ref name="1979FEIS">{{cite book |author=Washington State Department of Transportation |date=September 1979 |title=State Route 509 (Interstate 705) Pacific Avenue Interchange to Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Final Environmental Impact Statement |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |oclc=41692702 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ynM2AQAAMAAJ |via=[[Google Books]] |access-date=March 4, 2017}}</ref>{{rp|1–5}} In 1968, the Department of Highways adopted the routing of a freeway into Downtown Tacoma along the western side of the [[Thea Foss Waterway|City Waterway]], to be constructed over railroad [[Right-of-way (property access)|right of way]].<ref name="1979FEIS"/>{{rp|6}} The project, then part of a new freeway corridor for [[Washington State Route 509|State Route&nbsp;509]] through the [[Port of Tacoma]], was approved by the Tacoma City Council in 1971, but further planning was suspended at the time due to funding issues.<ref name="1979FEIS"/>{{rp|7}}

In 1978, the [[American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials]] (AASHTO) approved the designation of the Tacoma Spur as I-705.<ref>{{AASHTO minutes |year=1978S |page=5 |link=yes |v-link=yes |access-date=March 4, 2017}}</ref> The [[Federal Highway Administration]] had tentatively numbered the route as "Interstate 105", but the Washington State Department of Transportation had requested the use of "705" as it would not conflict with [[Washington State Route 105|SR&nbsp;105]], an existing highway.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 3, 1978 |title=It's official—Tacoma Spur known as I-705 |page=A1 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81150274/its-officialtacoma-spur-known-as/ |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=July 9, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Bulley |first=W. A. |date=May 2, 1978 |title=Route Numbering, I-5 Tacoma Spur |page=10 |url=https://grmservices.grmims.com/vsearch/portal/public/na4/aashto/default |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |via=American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials |access-date=September 29, 2020}}</ref> The Washington State Legislature approved the addition of I-705 into the state highway system in April 1979.<ref name="RCW">{{cite web |url=http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=47.17.819 |title=47.17.819: State Route No. 705 |year=1979 |work=Revised Code of Washington |author=Washington State Legislature |author-link = Washington State Legislature |publisher=Washington State Legislature |access-date = January 8, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Washington State Legislature |date=April 23, 1979 |title=Washington Laws, 1979 1st Extraordinary Session |chapter=Chapter 33: State Highway Routes |pages=1119–1120 |url=http://leg.wa.gov/CodeReviser/documents/sessionlaw/1979ex1c33.pdf |publisher=Washington State Legislature |access-date = March 4, 2017}}</ref>

While funding was identified in the 1970s, construction on the freeway was not completed until the next decade because of federal budget cuts.<ref name="delayed">{{cite news |last=Harper |first=Robert |date=April 16, 1980 |title=12 state road projects budget casualties |page=A1 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PVJOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Me4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2310%2C428634 |work=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |via=[[Google News Archive]] |access-date=January 8, 2011}}</ref><ref name="90 opening">{{cite news |last=Virgin |first=Bill |date=October 26, 2006 |title=At 50, interstates feeling their age |work=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]] |url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/virgin/289978_virgin26.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061109045501/http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/virgin/289978_virgin26.html |archive-date=November 9, 2006 |access-date=March 4, 2017}}</ref> Construction began with a groundbreaking on July 26, 1982, for the first portion of the Tacoma Spur, a ramp connecting I-5 to the Tacoma Dome area.<ref>{{cite news |last=Syphee |first=Richard |date=July 27, 1982 |title=Finally, city breaks ground for Tacoma Spur |page=A3 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-finally-city-breaks-gr/150080417/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=June 25, 2024}}</ref> The offramp connecting southbound I-5 to East 26th Street was dedicated on April 21, 1983, a day before the Tacoma Dome opened to the public.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sypher |first=Richard |date=April 21, 1983 |title=Dome off-ramp opens in rain |page=A4 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114953605/dome-off-ramp-opens-in-rain/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref> Construction on the rest of I-705 began in 1983; it required the demolition of the Union Station concourse shortly after passenger trains were rerouted to a [[Tacoma station (1984)|new Amtrak station]] in 1984.<ref>{{cite news |last=Song |first=John |date=August 5, 1984 |title=Wrecking ball rolls in with a rush |page=B1 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-wrecking-ball-rolls-in/150080670/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=June 25, 2024}}</ref>

The northbound lanes of I-705 between South 22nd and South 13th streets opened on October 27, 1986,<ref>{{cite news |last=Turner |first=Joseph |date=October 25, 1986 |title=First link of I-5 spur to open Monday |page=A10 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-first-link-of-i-5-spur/150082824/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=June 25, 2024}}</ref> and was followed in August 1987 by a connection to Schuster Parkway.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 28, 1987 |title=Another Spur section opens today |page=B2 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-another-spur-section-op/150082944/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=June 25, 2024}}</ref> The freeway was dedicated on October 17, 1988, with a parade and ribbon-cutting;<ref name="TNT-Opening88">{{cite news |last=Szymanski |first=Jim |date=October 16, 1988 |title=Spur is city's link to future |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81130973/spur-is-citys-link-to-future/ A1], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81131003/spur-is-citys-link-to-future-part-2/ A12] |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81130973/spur-is-citys-link-to-future/ |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=July 9, 2021}}</ref> I-705 cost $102.3&nbsp;million to construct and was the last new Interstate to be completed in the state of Washington.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bailey |first=Gil |date=October 14, 1988 |title=Tacoma is big on new little freeway |page=C2 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref><ref name="disparage tacoma">{{cite news |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19980329/2742290/in-the-6th-district-dicks-keeps-delivering |title=In the 6th District, Dicks Keeps Delivering |last=Nelson |first=Robert T. |date=March 29, 1998 |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |access-date = January 8, 2011}}</ref> The Tacoma City Council in 1992 proposed to name the freeway Martin Luther King Way, however that name was finally applied to nearby K Street.<ref name="almost mlk way">{{cite news |last=Clements |first=Barbara |date=December 9, 1992 |title=K Street to get King's name, council decides |page=B1 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86119892/k-street-to-get-kings-name-council-dec/ |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=September 28, 2021}}</ref> Work on the single-point urban interchange, costing $29.4&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{formatnum:{{inflation|US-GDP|29.4|1993|r=0}}}}&nbsp;million in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP}}), was completed in 1993 to accommodate the changes that were made to SR&nbsp;509 through Tacoma.<ref name="spui redesign">{{cite news |title=Senate Bill Provides Millions for Roads |last=Higgins |first=Mark |date=March 2, 1993 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |page=B1}}</ref>