State Route 109 (SR 109) is a Washington state highway in Grays Harbor County. Beginning at its terminus at (US 101) in Hoquiam, the highway travels west to intersect near Ocean Shores and then turns north to continue along the Pacific coastline, terminating at the Quinault River Bridge in Taholah, located in the Quinault Indian Reservation. The Washington State Legislature extended the roadway north to end at US 101 south of Queets through tribal lands, although this segment has yet to be built. SR 109 was first established as (SSH 9C) in 1937, which was on a more northern alignment until 1947, when it was switched to a Hoquiam to Quinault Indian Reservation route. In 1964, SSH 9C was renumbered to SR 109 and in 1983, a spur route of SR 109 that bypasses Hoquiam was added. SR 109 itself was extended by the legislature to US 101 near Queets in 1985, but the road has not been built.
Route description
SR 109 begins in downtown Hoquiam as a set of one-way streets that intersect US 101 on the west bank of the Hoquiam River. The highway's northbound lanes travel west along Emerson Avenue from US 101 at Lincoln Street to Simpson Avenue, where the southbound lanes split to intersect the southbound lanes of US 101 at 5th Street. Both directions of SR 109 continue west on Emerson Avenue through a residential area of Hoquiam, passing several schools and parks while following a short branch of the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad. The railroad ends at the edge of Bowerman Basin, where SR 109 intersects a spur route that serves as a northern bypass of Hoquiam. The highway continues west along Bowerman Basin and passes through the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, a protected habitat for migrating |shorebirds across from Bowerman Airport.
The highway leaves Hoquiam's city limits and travels along Grays Harbor, turning northwest to climb part of Brackenridge Bluff near Grays Harbor City. SR 109 runs inland through a forested area on the bluff and turns north to cross Grass Creek and follow the shore around the northeast side of Grays Harbor. After crossing the Humptulips River, the highway turns west and passes several cranberry bogs along the north side of Grays Harbor. SR 109 then reaches a junction with SR 115, which provides access to the city of Ocean Shores and Ocean City State Park. The highway turns north to follow the Pacific Coast, passing through the residential area of Ocean City, where it swerves a block east.
SR 109 continues north along the Pacific Coast, which has several public access points for beaches and state parks, and passes several private resorts and campgrounds. At Copalis Beach, the highway briefly turns east to serve a community center and crosses over the Copalis River. SR 109 then travels through Griffiths-Priday State Park and ascends the ocean-facing bluffs, weaving between small canyons and ravines along the coast, which forms part of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. The highway passes through the community of Seabrook, a modern planned development near Roosevelt Beach laid out with New Urbanist principles and inspired by New England's coastal towns. SR 109 then passes through the communities of Pacific Beach and Moclips, serving motels and resorts along the beaches, before entering the Quinault Indian Reservation on the north side of the Moclips River. The highway descends onto the beach and continues northwest along Grenville Bay on the Pacific Coast, passing through a less-populated forested area. SR 109 then enters Taholah, the administrative center of the Quinault Indian Nation, and terminates at the south end of a bridge crossing the Quinault River.
The highway is designated as the Hidden Coast Scenic Byway, a state scenic byway that forms part of the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway system. SR 109 is maintained by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), which conducts an annual survey on state highways to measure traffic volume in terms of annual average daily traffic. Average traffic volumes on the highway in 2016 ranged from a minimum of 1,200 vehicles in Taholah to a maximum of 9,600 vehicles in downtown Hoquiam. SR 109 functions as the main access to the Quinault Indian Reservation and Ocean Shores as well as a major tsunami evacuation route. The highway has higher use by vehicles and bicyclists during the summer months.