Washington State Route 162 - Route Description

Route Description

SR 162 begins at a diamond interchange with the SR 410 freeway in Sumner and travels south as a continuation of Valley Avenue, crossing the Puyallup River. The highway continues south through rural Pierce County, following a Ballard Terminal Railroad line and the Puyallup River. It serves the community of Alderton and joins the Pierce County Foothills Trail, traveling southeast from Puyallup. SR 162 crosses the Puyallup River on the McMillin Bridge, listed on the National Register of Historical Places, west of its confluence with the Carbon River. It becomes Washington Avenue as it travels southeast through Orting, serving Orting High School. The highway turns southwest onto Bridge Street and crosses the Foothills Trail before turning back southeast onto Herman Way, later Pioneer Way outside of Orting, towards South Prairie. SR 162 continues northeast, crossing the Foothills Trail and the Carbon River before passing through South Prairie. The highway travels east, crossing South Prairie Creek and passing White River High School, before ending at an intersection with SR 165 southwest of Buckley.

Every year, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) conducts a series of surveys on its highways in the state to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of average annual daily traffic (AADT), which is a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. In 2011, WSDOT calculated that between 4,100 and 21,000 vehicles per day used the highway, mostly between Sumner and Orting.