SR 168 would be an all-season route through Naches Pass, at an elevation of , providing an alternative to SR 410, which closes annually due to avalanche dangers near Chinook Pass, at an elevation of . SR 168 would allow commercial vehicles to bypass Mount Rainier National Park, where trucks and other large vehicles are prohibited on SR 410. The current restriction detours commercial traffic south to U.S. Route 12 over White Pass or north to Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass.