King County Road Services - Historic and Scenic Corridors Project

Preserving King County’s Heritage Corridors

In an effort to identify and preserve the county’s rich transportation history that can still be experienced along many of our older roads, researchers spent over a year collecting information, poring over old maps, photographing roadside features, and talking with community members. This grant-funded project has allowed the Road Services Division to document the story of over 100 years of road building in our region and identify the most significant "Heritage Corridors" in unincorporated King County.

Narrow roads that hug the contours of the landscape, roads that follow long-established Native American footpaths, adjacent historic buildings, and views of quintessential northwest landscapes or turn-of-the century farms, are but a few of the cultural features that can contribute to a corridor‘s historic significance and scenic quality.

Corridors selected

Nine Heritage Corridors have been identified through this project. Together these very diverse corridors tell the story of King County’s history through its most formative decades of development, from the 1870s through the 1930s. They touch on industrial, commercial, agricultural, and maritime themes. The roads themselves embody a record of the human determination to overcome seemingly insurmountable terrain through engineering, to link products to market, and to transport people effortlessly though the magic of the automobile. On each of these Heritage Corridors, travelers can experience a distinctive place in time.

Designation as King County Community Landmarks is the mechanism chosen to formally recognize the Heritage Corridors. This honorary designation is bestowed on special places in the community by the King County Landmarks Commission and carries no associated land use regulations or restrictions. The designation allows the county to recognize the unique qualities of the corridors while retaining the flexibility necessary to maintain them as public roadways.

The Landmarks Commission designated eight road corridors as Community Landmarks at a public hearing on June 25, 2009. The ninth corridor, the Old Sunset Highway, consists of one short segment of county road, with other segments under the management of other public agencies. While the Sunset Highway’s rich cultural significance to King County makes its long-term recognition a high priority, it is not proposed for Community Landmark designation at this time. King County would like to collaborate with the other agencies regarding formal recognition of this corridor in the future.

 Next steps

The Corridors project is intended to help the county maintain and operate its historic and scenic roads in keeping with their unique character. We also hope it will enhance the public’s travel experience and lead to a greater understanding and appreciation of our region’s transportation history. The project will not result in any new regulations or restrictions for property owners.

A report detailing the project findings will be released this summer. Maps, photos, and other educational materials will be added to this web site throughout 2009. Please check back often to see what’s new.