Route information | ||||
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Maintained by WSDOT | ||||
Length | 12.06 mi[1] (19.41 km) | |||
Existed | 1964–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end | I-5 in Lakewood | |||
East end | SR 161 / SR 167 in Puyallup | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Washington | |||
County | Pierce | |||
Highway system | ||||
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State Route 512 (SR 512) is a suburban state-maintained freeway in Pierce County, Washington, United States. It travels 12 miles (19 km) from west to east, connecting Interstate 5 (I-5) in Lakewood to SR 7 in Parkland and SR 167 in Puyallup. The freeway travels north–south through Puyallup, concurrent with SR 161.
The freeway follows the route of several county roads that were incorporated into Secondary State Highway 5G (SSH 5G) in 1937. The highway was renumbered to SR 512 in 1964 and gradually replaced by a freeway that was constructed between 1959 and 1973. The Puyallup section was initially built as a two-lane expressway until further funding was allocated by the state government to complete it as a four-lane freeway in 1976.
Further projects widened sections of SR 512 and added new interchanges to address increased demand caused by urban development along the freeway. Recent proposals have included interchange upgrades and the addition of high-occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV lanes).