The section of I-5 between Everett and Seattle was officially opened on Feb. 3, 1965 – 46 years ago today.
The section opened that day runs 19.7 miles from the Eastmont interchange at the southern end of Everett’s city limits to the northern end of the Seattle city limits at NE 145th Street, according to HistoryLink.org.
Ironically, the state Legislature adopted a plan for a Tacoma-Seattle-Everett “toll superhighway” in 1953. The state Supreme Court subsequently declared the toll road plan unconstitutional, but money came through from the federal government to build the freeway.
A toll lane is now in use on Highway 167 in the Kent valley and is being proposed for I-405 from Lynnwood to Bellevue.
Construction of the Everett-Seattle portion of I-5 began early in 1963. The section was scheduled to open late in December 1964, but its opening was delayed by more than a month because of cold weather.
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