Date:  Thursday, November 05, 2009

Contact: Meghan Soptich Pembroke, WSDOT Communications, 206-440-4704 (Seattle)

Highway renamed to honor active service men and women

EVERETT – Drivers on State Route 529 today will notice new signs designating the corridor as the “Yellow Ribbon Highway.” WSDOT joined elected officials, Naval Station Everett and community members this morning to officially dedicate the highway.

“The effort to rename the highway began with an Everett resident who wanted to honor his older brother and other service men and women,” said Lorena Eng, WSDOT regional administrator. “Today we unveiled the new Yellow Ribbon Highway signs that we’ve installed along SR 529 between Everett and Marysville.”

In July 2009, the Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC) approved a resolution to designate SR 529 the Yellow Ribbon Highway in honor of all active U.S. military personnel residing and serving in Washington state and deployed to foreign assignments.

The resolution was initially proposed by Nathan Olson, an Everett resident who said his older brother’s military service taught him “about serving causes greater than ourselves.” It was supported by the cities of Everett and Marysville, as well as several legislators and counties across the state.

SR 529 stretches nearly eight miles between Everett and Marysville. In addition to being a major connecting route for commuters, SR 529 also links Naval Station Everett to the base’s Family Support Complex in Marysville.

The WSTC can rename transportation facilities at the request of the Legislature or communities. Once a naming resolution has been approved, WSDOT works with local officials to design and install the appropriate signs along the route.

View photos from the sign unveiling on our flickr site.

For more information, visit the WTSC Web site: www.wstc.wa.gov.

< Back to News Home