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Interstate
5 in Washington
stretches along the nearly 1,400 miles of the western coast of
the United
States. I-5's odd number indicates that the traffic flows
north and south. Built mostly in the 1960s, I-5 gradually
replaced US-99
as the main north-south artery on the West Coast. As the only
highway spanning from the Canadian
to the Mexican
border, I-5 connects all of the major centers of
population along the western seaboard.
Canada's BC Provincial Highway
99 (named to coincide with US-99,
I-5's predecessor) becomes Interstate 5's northern boundary at
the U.S. border in Blaine, Washington. Peace
Arch greets the border between the two countries,
symbolizing their friendship. This white marble monument,
found partially within the U.S. and in Canada, features the
caption: "Brethren Together in Unity", on the
Canadian side. The U.S. side bears the phrase: "Children
of a Common Mother".
Beginning in Blaine,
WA, Interstate 5 goes on to span nearly 280 miles of the
state. Traveling south, the next large city is Bellingham,
known for its pulp and paper industries and as the place where
tourists can drive directly onto a ferry bound for Alaska.
I-5 continues to unfold along the eastern shores of Puget
Sound to the cities of Everett
and Seattle,
home of the Space
Needle and the Seattle
Seahawks. Renowned for its innovative Naval
Station, Everett also features views of the stunning Cascade
mountain range. Although dormant for hundreds of years, the
Cascade's are classified as volcanic mountains. I-5 passes
right through the middle of Seattle's
metro area with the Washington
Convention Center building directly over the freeway.
Tacoma comes next, where majestic Mt.
Rainier stands proud in the distance. Then I-5 passes by
the state Capitol dome
in Olympia and extends through Kelso
to Vancouver at the Washington state line.
From Vancouver,
Washington, the Columbia
River's Interstate 5 Bridge leads into Oregon.
Spanning over 300 miles of Oregon, cities such as Portland,
Salem,
Eugene
and Medford
provide easy access for travelers to explore this picturesque
state. Next, I-5 covers nearly 800 miles through California,
coinciding with Redding,
Sacramento,
Los Angeles
and San
Diego. Finally, the border between the U.S. and Mexico
at Tijuana
is I-5's southern boundary, where the highway becomes Mexico
Route-1D. Due to the commuter and commercial traffic, this
border is renowned as the busiest international crossing in
the country.
Interstate
5 in Washington
shaped the western portion of the state and the majority of
the American west coast, evidenced by the majority of large
cities found along the highway's route. This magnificent
freeway, generally six lanes and up to as many as twenty-two
lanes wide (in California), has generated the need for
Internet accessible traffic cameras for the use of travelers.
At times congested but always scenic, I-5 is an ideal route
for traveling the eastern seaboard.
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