(Pier 52) on the
Central Waterfront of
Seattle viewed from the
Columbia Center SR 519 begins as Edgar Martinez Drive, named for former
Seattle Mariners player
Edgar Martínez, in the
SoDo neighborhood south of
Downtown Seattle. The highway begins at an elevated intersection with 4th Avenue and the western terminus of
I-90. The highway travels west over
BNSF Railway tracks, heading north to
King Street Station, and turns north onto Dave Niehaus Way, named for former Mariners
sportscaster Dave Niehaus, at an intersection with South Atlantic Street. Dave Niehaus Way continues north along the west side of
T-Mobile Park and
Lumen Field before becoming 1st Avenue. SR 519 turns west onto South Dearborn Street and north onto
Alaskan Way at an intersection with ramps serving
SR 99 at the south portal of its
downtown tunnel. The highway ends at an intersection with Yesler Way at
Colman Dock (Pier 52), The highway primarily serves as a connector to Colman Dock, the
Port of Seattle, and the city's waterfront. 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
annual average daily traffic (AADT), which is a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. Average traffic volumes on the highway in 2019 ranged from a minimum of 12,000 vehicles on Alaskan Way near Colman Dock to a maximum of 33,000 vehicles on 1st Avenue near T-Mobile Park. The state government has designated SR 519 as a Highway of Statewide Significance, which includes principal arterials that are needed to connect major communities in the state. ==History==