 The Richland Bypass was also widened from two lanes to five in 1980, at a cost of $1.83 million.The population of the Tri-Cities region grew substantially in the late 20th century, causing increased traffic congestion on the urban sections of SR 240.A $58 million highway widening program was completed in 2007 by WSDOT, expanding SR 240 to six lanes between Stevens Drive and Columbia Center Boulevard.