Washington State Route 971

State Route 971 (SR 971) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Washington. It runs for 15 miles (24 km) and primarily serves Lake Chelan State Park, with both of its termini at U.S. Route 97 Alternate (US 97A) southwest of Chelan. SR 971 has the highest highway number in the state.

State Route 971 marker

State Route 971

Map of Chelan County in central Washington with SR 971 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of US 97
Maintained by WSDOT
Length15.02 mi[1] (24.17 km)
Existed1991[2]–present
Major junctions
South end US 97 Alt. near Entiat
North end US 97 Alt. near Chelan
Location
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountiesChelan
Highway system
← SR 970→ US 2

The highway traverses Navarre Coulee along the route of a 19th-century road that was later connected to Chelan in the 1910s. Both roads were paved in the 1960s and incorporated into SR 971 when it was established by the state legislature in 1991.

Route description
SR 971 approaching its northern terminus at US 97A near Chelan

SR 971 begins at a junction with US 97A on the Columbia River near the former town of Winesap, approximately 9 miles (14 km) north of Entiat.[3] The highway travels northwest along Ficher Canyon and turns north to follow Navarre Coulee, which cuts through an arm of the Chelan Mountains at the eastern end of the Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest and near the Chelan State Wildlife Area.[4] After passing several small farms, SR 971 climbs the Barrett Grade, which runs northeast and northwest in a narrower and heavily-forested part of the coulee.[5] The highway then turns northeast in its descent towards Lake Chelan and rounds a hairpin turn to the northwest before reaching South Lakeshore Road near Lake Chelan State Park.[6][7]

Adjacent to the state park entrance, SR 971 turns east onto South Lakeshore Road, which continues along Lake Chelan towards Twenty-Five Mile Creek State Park.[7] The highway travels east along the shore of Lake Chelan, passing small marinas as well as homes on the lakefront and on the steep cliffs to the south. Near Bear Mountain, SR 971 passes several vineyards and terminates at a junction with US 97A west of the town of Chelan.[5][6]

SR 971 is the highest-numbered state highway in Washington.[1][8] The highway is maintained by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), who conduct an annual survey of traffic volume that is expressed in terms of average annual daily traffic (AADT), a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. Average daily traffic volumes on SR 971 in 2016 ranged from a minimum of 680 vehicles near the Barrett Grade to a maximum of 2,600 vehicles near its northern terminus.[9]

History
SR 971 in the Navarre Coulee, looking north towards the Chelan Mountains

An unpaved road along Navarre Coulee from the Columbia River to the summit overlooking Lake Chelan was built in the late 19th century.[10] The Chelan County government began surveying a new road along the south shore of Lake Chelan in 1910 with the intent of connecting it to a new route over Navarre Coulee. The two roads would serve as an alternative to the existing Wenatchee–Chelan road via the steeper Knapp Coulee.[11][12]

The gravel road along Navarre Coulee and the lakeshore was rebuilt by the county government in 1947, with sections straightened and widened before being oiled.[13][14] The road was paved over several stages in the 1960s, in part with funds from the state government.[15][16] The state legislature established SR 971 on the corridor in 1991, allowing for WSDOT to take over maintenance of the road the following year.[2] The state government funded a major resurfacing project in 1996 and the replacement of a fish culvert on First Creek in 1999.[17][18]

Major intersections

The entire highway is in Chelan County.

Locationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
​0.000.00 US 97 Alt. – Chelan, Entiat, Wenatchee
​9.0714.60South Lakeshore Road – Fields Point, Twenty-Five Mile Creek State Park
​15.0224.17 US 97 Alt. – Chelan, Entiat, Wenatchee
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References
  1. Multimodal Planning Division (January 4, 2021). State Highway Log Planning Report 2020, SR 2 to SR 971 (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. pp. 1726–1727. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  2. "RCW 47.17.919: State route No. 971". Revised Code of Washington. Washington State Legislature. 1991. Archived from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  3. Washington State Highways, 2014–2015 (PDF) (Map). Olympia: Washington State Department of Transportation. 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  4. Motor Vehicle Use Map: Winesap Quadrangle, Washington (PDF) (Map). 1:24,000. 7.5-minute series (topographic). United States Forest Service. 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 7, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  5. "Corridor Sketch Summary – SR 971: US 97A Jct (Navarre Coulee) to US 97A Jct (Lake Chelan)" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. April 5, 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  6. Google (September 6, 2021). "State Route 971" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  7. Mueller, Marge; Mueller, Ted (2004). Washington State Parks: A Complete Recreation Guide (3rd ed.). Mountaineers Books. pp. 245–246. ISBN 0-89886-893-9. OCLC 55800990. Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021 – via Google Books.
  8. "Chapter 47.17 RCW: State Highway Routes". Revised Code of Washington. Washington State Legislature. Archived from the original on September 7, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  9. 2016 Annual Traffic Report (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. 2017. p. 218. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  10. Chelan Quadrangle, Washington (Topographic map). 1:125,000. United States Geological Survey. April 1901. Archived from the original on September 7, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  11. "Will Survey New Road". The Wenatchee World. August 29, 1910. p. 1. Archived from the original on September 7, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "New Route Desirable". The Wenatchee World. August 26, 1910. p. 8. Archived from the original on September 7, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Oil To Be Laid on County Road". The Spokesman-Review. May 8, 1947. p. 10. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Motorists Warned". The Spokesman-Review. July 20, 1947. p. 18. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "Chelan Road Hearing Called". The Spokesman-Review. December 18, 1963. p. 6. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "News from the Washington State Highway Department: Contracts awarded" (Press release). Washington State Department of Highways. October 23, 1967. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021 – via WSDOT Library Digital Collections.
  17. "1996 Highway Construction Projects". ExPress Transportation News. Vol. III, no. 4. Washington State Department of Transportation. May 1996. p. 10. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021 – via WSDOT Library Digital Collections.
  18. Adamson, Jeff (August 1999). "Fish now have a first-class route up First Creek". ExPress Transportation News. Vol. VI, no. 7. Washington State Department of Transportation. p. 6. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021 – via WSDOT Library Digital Collections.
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