Historic Columbia River Highway

Historic Columbia River Highway No. 100
Route information
Maintained byODOT,OPRD,etc.
Length	74.1 mi(119.3 km) (measured by historic mileposts)
History	Constructed 1913–1922; bypassed in 1950s; added toNRHPon December 12, 1983
Major junctions
West end	Troutdale
Major intersections	Bridge of the GodsinCascade Locks OR 35nearHood River
East end	US 30inThe Dalles
Location
Country	United States
State	Oregon
Highway system
Oregon Highways Interstate US State Named Scenic
Columbia River Highway Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark District
NRHP referenceNo.	83004168
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	December 12, 1983
Designated NHLD	May 16, 2000

TheHistoric Columbia River Highwayis an approximately 75-mile-long (121 km)scenic highwayin the U.S. state ofOregonbetweenTroutdaleandThe Dalles,built through theColumbia River Gorgebetween 1913 and 1922. As the first planned scenic roadway in the United States, it has been recognized in numerous ways, including being listed on theNational Register of Historic Places,being designated as aNational Historic Landmarkby theU.S. Secretary of the Interior,being designated as aNational Historic Civil Engineering Landmarkby theAmerican Society of Civil Engineers,and being considered a "destination unto itself"as anAll-American Roadby theU.S. Secretary of Transportation.The historic roadway was bypassed by the presentColumbia River Highway No. 2(Interstate 84) from the 1930s to the 1950s, leaving behind the old two-lane road. The road is now mostly owned and maintained by the state through theOregon Department of Transportationas theHistoric Columbia River Highway No. 100(still partially marked asU.S. Route 30;seeOregon highways and routes) or theOregon Parks and Recreation Departmentas theHistoric Columbia River Highway State Trail.

The original highway was promoted by lawyer and entrepreneurSam Hilland engineerSamuel C. Lancaster,to be modeled after the great scenic roads ofEurope.From the very beginning, the roadway was envisioned not just as means of traveling by the then popularModel T,but designed with an elegance that took full advantage of all the natural beauty along the route.

When theUnited States highwaysystem was officially established in 1926, the highway became the part ofU.S. Route 30.Since then, modernInterstate 84has been built parallel to the highway betweenPortlandand The Dalles, replacing it as the main travel route and resulting in the loss of some of the original sections of road.

History

Planning and construction

Early map of the Columbia River Highway, fromGood Roadsmagazine, 1916

National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, found near Multnomah Falls on the Columbia River Scenic Highway

TheColumbia River Gorgeis the lowest crossing of theCascade Mountains,carved by theColumbia Riverduring the Cascades'uplift.Rafting down the gorge fromThe Dalleswas one of the most expensive and dangerous parts of theOregon Trail,traveled by thousands ofemigrantsto theOregon Territory,until theBarlow Roadopened in 1846 around the south side ofMount Hood.A wagon road was finally built through the gorge in the 1870s, whenThe Dalles and Sandy Wagon Roadwas constructed along the south shore from The Dalles to theSandy Rivereast of Portland. However, this road had steep (20%)gradesand a crooked and narrow alignment, and it was not until 1882 that theOregon Railway and Navigation Companyfinally opened a water-level route, partially destroying the wagon road. With the onset of the automobile and thegood roads movementof the early 20th century, a road was once again needed, andMultnomah Countybegan constructing a 20-foot (6 m) roadway with 9% grades, but ran into difficulties relating to the railroad's location. AtShellrock Mountainto the east, long believed to be an impassable barrier, GovernorOswald Westusedprison laborin 1912 to prove that it was possible to build a road, at least temporarily.

The principal designer, Samuel C. Lancaster, self-published a guide to the highway in 1915.

The eventual highway was primarily designed byengineerandlandscape architectSamuel C. Lancaster,a lifelong friend of good roads promoterSamuel Hill.His first contribution to thePacific Northwestwas as a consultant forSeattle'sOlmsted boulevard system,part of its preparations for the 1909Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition.In 1908, the two traveled to Europe for theFirst International Road Congress,where Hill represented the state of Washington. Hill was especially impressed bySwitzerland'sAxenstrasse,a road built alongLake Lucernein 1865 that included awindowed tunnel,and wanted to build a similar scenic highway through the Columbia River Gorge. With Lancaster's help, Hill built the experimentalMaryhill Loops Roadfrom the river east of the gorge up theColumbia Hillsto his plannedQuakerutopian communityatMaryhill.The road was the firstasphaltroad in the state, designed with gradualhorseshoe curvesto avoid steep grades. However, Washington's lawmakers denied his request for a cross-state trunk route on the river's north bank, and Hill crossed the river to Oregon, the last of the states in the farWestern U.S.to create ahighway department.With the help of his life-size model at Maryhill, he convinced the state legislature to create theState Highway Commissionin 1913, which would work with thecountiesto build roads. TheMultnomah Countycommissioners agreed later that year that the state should design the route to distance it from countypolitics,and set aside an initial $75,000.

The view fromCrown Point

In laying out the highway, Lancaster sought not only to create a transportation artery, but to make the gorge's "beautiful waterfalls, canyons, cliffs and mountain domes" accessible to "men from all climes". According tolocating engineerJohn Arthur Elliott,

The ideals sought were not the usual economic features and considerations given the location of a trunk highway. Grades, curvature, distance and even expense were sacrificed to reach some scenic vista or to develop a particularly interesting point. All the natural beauty spots were fixed as control points and the location adjusted to include them. Although the highway would have a commercial value in connecting the Coast country with the eastern areas, no consideration was given the commercial over scenic requirements. The one prevailing idea in the location and construction was to make this highway a great scenic boulevard surpassing all other highways of the world.

Lancaster began surveying near theChanticleer Inn,where Larch Mountain Road, part of Multnomah County's existing road network, began climbing the hills of the gorge. For five months, from September 1913 to January 1914, he laid out a route for about 21 miles (34 km) to theHood River Countyline west ofCascade Locks.The alignment generally had a maximumgradeof 5% andcurve radiusof 200 feet (60 m), and was wide enough for 18 feet (5.5 m) ofmacadam(laterasphalt) and two 3-foot (1 m)gravelshoulders.To accomplish this, Lancaster used curves similar to the road he had designed at Maryhill where the highway descended fromCrown Point.

TheMultnomah Creek Bridge

To carry rainwater off the road, Lancaster designed a comprehensive drainage system, including raising the center of the road, installingconcretecurbsandguttersas on a city street, and taking the road over heavy flows onculverts.Eleven largerreinforced concretebridges and several full orhalf viaductswere specially designed for the Multnomah County portion of the highway, taking the road over streams or along steep hillsides with a minimum of earthmoving.Masonrywas used forretaining walls,which kept the highway from falling off the hillside, andguard walls,which kept drivers and pedestrians from falling off the road. AtOneonta Bluff,the highway passed through the first of five tunnels, as the land to the north was taken by the rail line. With the completion of theOneonta Tunneland a number of bridges, the road was open to traffic west ofWarrendale,nearHorsetail Falls,by October 1914.In April 1915, Multnomah County voters approved the cost of covering the initial macadam with a patented long-lastingbituminousmixture known asWarrenite,which was completed to the county line by the end of the summer.

For the section west of the Chanticleer Inn, Multnomah County generally made improvements to existing roads. Base Line Road (Stark Street) stretched east from Portland almost to the Sandy River; the roadway east of Troutdale Road to the river, including the present Sweetbriar Road, was somewhat circuitous. An old woodenPrattthrough trussbridge over the Sandy collapsed on April 25, 1914, and its steel replacement was built as part of the Columbia River Highway project. A new extension of Base Line Road, built in 1915, gradually descended the riverbank to the bridge.Between the river and the inn, existing roads were incorporated into the highway, which bypassed other sections such as Nielson Road and Bell Road. The county built a second approach to the highway in 1916, using the existingSandy Boulevardto Troutdale and a 1912 through truss bridge that connected to Woodard Road. A new roadway bypassed Woodard Road's steep grades, following the riverbank to the east end of the 1914 bridge.The entire length of the highway in Multnomah County was maintained by the county until January 16, 1930, when the state took over maintenance of the Sandy Boulevard route.(Stark Street was never a state-maintained highway,though for a time it was signed asU.S. Route 30 Alternate.)

TheMitchell Point Tunnel

Beyond Multnomah County,State Highway DepartmentengineerJohn Arthur Elliottsurveyed a route along the river throughHood River Countyin 1913 and 1914, mostly using the 1870s wagon road where available. County voters approved abond issuein mid-1914 to pay for construction west of the city ofHood River,helped by highway promoterSimon Benson's purchase of the entire issue and promise to pay any overruns. The most difficult location was atMitchell Point,where the old road included grades of up to 23% to take it over asaddle,and the railroad occupied the only available land between the cliff and the river. Elliott solved the problem by building theMitchell Point Tunnel—awindowed tunnellike on Switzerland's Axenstrasse—through the cliff, with aviaducton the west approach. Construction began in March 1915, and the Mitchell Point section was opened to traffic in early September, at a cost of about $47,000. To dedicate the completed highway between Portland and Hood River, two ceremonies were held atMultnomah FallsandCrown Pointon the same day in June 1916.

TheRowena Loops

Between Hood River and The Dalles, construction was delayed by rugged terrain west of and debate over the best route east ofMosier.Elliott considered several options west of Mosier, including a route close to the railroad, which had again taken the best location along the river, and a route over theMosier Hills,closer to the existing county road (now Old Dalles Drive and Hood River Road). The former, while shorter, would be, in Elliott's words, "passing a section made up of views which would leave a lasting impression on the traveler". Elliott had left the State Highway Department by 1917, when new locating engineerRoy A. Kleinsurveyed a third alignment. It was closer to the river than the old county road, yet higher than Elliott's river alignment, in order to avoid closing the rail line duringblasting.Just after leaving Hood River on a 1918 bridge over theHood River,which had replaced an older woodentruss bridge,the highway climbed via a series of loops, similar to the ones at Crown Point. From there it followed the course of the river, partway up the hillside. Near the east end, theMosier Twin Tunnels,completed in 1920, carried the road through a portion of the hill; the eastern of the two included two windows, similar to the five at Mitchell Point.Because of its beauty, photographers likeWilliam Henry Jackson,Benjamin A. Gifford,Arthur PrentissandCarleton Watkinsdocumented the construction of this highway.

TheDry Canyon Creek Bridge,designed byConde McCullough

The final piece to The Dalles was laid out by J. H. Scott of the State Highway Department. It followed an inland route, climbing existing county roads to theRowena Crest,where it used a third set of loops to descend to river level atRowena.There it picked up a former alignment of theOregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Companymost of the way to The Dalles.Most of the bridges in Wasco County were designed byConde McCullough,who would later become famous for his work onU.S. Route 101,the Oregon Coast Highway. A completion ceremony for the Columbia River Highway was held on June 27, 1922, when Simon Benson symbolically helped pave the final portion near Rowena. By then, the roadway was part of a longerColumbia River Highway,stretching fromAstoriaon thePacific Oceaneast toPendletonas Highway No. 2 in a large network of state highways.In the State Highway Department's fifth biennial report, published in 1922, it reported that construction costs to date on the Columbia River Highway totaled about $11 million, with the state contributing $7.6 million, thefederal government$1.1 million, and the counties $2.3 million ($1.5 million of which was from Multnomah County).In 1926, theAmerican Association of State Highway Officialsdesignated the road as part ofU.S. Route 30.The first realignment was made by 1935 at the west entrance to The Dalles, where a more direct route along West 2nd Street bypassed the old alignment along West 6th Street, theMill Creek Bridge,and West 3rd Place.

Water-level bypass

The new water-level route as seen fromCrown Point,looking east

Even as construction was ongoing on the east end of the Columbia River Highway, the design had become obsolete, as motorists wanting to get to their destination greatly outnumbered tourists taking a pleasure drive. There were also problems withrockfall,especially west of theMosier Twin Tunnels.By 1932, Lancaster proposed a new water-level route, while keeping the old road as a scenic highway. The first such bypass was necessitated by the federal government's creation ofBonneville Damon the Columbia River. The dam would flood the railroad, and the highway would need to be moved so the railroad could take its place. The highway's new two-lane alignment, completed in 1937, crossed the old road several times between the community ofBonneville(just east ofTanner Creek) andCascade Locks.The realignment had the effect of closing the old road to all but the most local of traffic, since the construction of the east portal of the newToothrock Tunnel,just west of a new bridge overEagle Creek,had destroyed a section of road on the hillside.

TheOneonta Tunnel,with the railroad to the north (left image) and after bypassing (right image), the railroad now out of view beyond the trees

By the end of the 1940s, the original cross section of 18 feet (5.5 m) of pavement and two 3-foot (1 m) shoulders had been modified to 24 feet (7.5 m) of pavement. The Mosier Twin Tunnels were similarly widened from 8⅔ feet (2⅔ m) to 10 feet (3 m) in each direction in 1938 to accommodate larger trucks,but this was not enough, andtraffic signalswere later installed at the tunnels to regulateone-way traffic.A 1948 bypass of the Oneonta Tunnel was made possible by moving the railroad slightly north onfill;the railroad benefited by removing the risk of the thin tunnel wall collapsing onto the track.Oneonta Tunnel was sealed in 1948 but revealed again fifty-five years later as part of the Historic Columbia River Highway restoration project.

Eagle Creek Bridge

More comprehensive bypass planning began by 1941, when theState Highway Commissionadopted surveys for the new highway.

Restoration and current use

Starting in June 2006,the Oregon Department of Transportation,using about $1.5 million in state and federal money, began restoring the Oneonta Tunnel to its 1920s appearance. The tunnel officially reopened March 21, 2009 for pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

TheEagle Creek Fireswept through the Gorge in September 2017, causing rockslides that closed the historic highway for a year. The highway remained closed between Bridal Veil and Ainsworth State Park until November 23, 2018 for restoration and reconstruction work.

Route description and historic designations

Historic Route 30 Sign

Columbia River Highway
1950
abandoned alignment Troutdale 14.2 Sandy River Bridge 16.7 Stark Street Bridge Chanticleer Point 23.9 Crown Point Viaduct Figure-Eight Loops 26.1 Latourell Creek Bridge 27.4 Shepperd's Dell Bridge 28.4 Bridal Veil Falls Bridge 31.6 Wahkeena Falls Bridge 31.9 West Multnomah Falls Viaduct 32.1 Multnomah Creek Bridge 32.3 East Multnomah Falls Viaduct 34.3 Oneonta Gorge Creek Bridge Oneonta Tunnel 34.6 Horsetail Falls Bridge 38.6 McCord Creek Bridge 39.8 Moffett Creek Bridge 41.1 Tanner Creek Bridge Toothrock Viaduct 42.0 Toothrock Tunnel Eagle Creek Viaduct 42.7 Eagle Creek Bridge Multnomah County Hood River County 43.6 Ruckel Creek Bridge Cascade Locks 47.7 Herman Creek Bridge 52.7 Gorton Creek Bridge Shellrock Mountain 55.8 Lindsey Creek Bridge 56.5 Warren Creek Bridge 58.8 Viento Creek Bridge 60.0 Mitchell Point Viaduct Mitchell Point Tunnel 62.9 Ruthton Point Viaduct 64.3 Phelps Creek Bridge Hood River 66.8 Hood River Bridge Hood River Loops 69.9 Rock Slide Viaduct Hood River County Wasco County 72.0 Mosier Twin Tunnels 73.2 Rock Creek Bridge Mosier 73.7 Mosier Creek Bridge Memaloose Overlook 79.0 Rowena Dell Bridge 79.7 Dry Canyon Creek Bridge Rowena Crest Rowena Loops 88.0 Chenoweth Creek Bridge Mill Creek Bridge The Dalles

Although the city ofTroutdalehas named the old highway "Columbia River Highway" west to 244th Avenue, where it is cut byI-84,signs for the scenic byway begin at exit 17 of I-84, and point south on Graham Road to the west end of downtown Troutdale.Modernmilepointzero of the Historic Columbia River Highway No. 100 is located at the west end of theSandy Riverbridge, historic milepost 14.2.

Modern highways, including I-84, and other developments have resulted in the abandonment of major sections of the historic original highway. In the interest oftourismand historical preservation, seventy-four miles of the original road—from Troutdale to The Dalles—have been established as theHistoric Columbia River Highway(HCRH). Forty miles of the route are open to motor vehicles:

• The 24 westernmost miles starting inTroutdale(at the eastern edge of urbanPortland) provide access to dozens of hiking trails,Crown PointVista House, and numerouswaterfallssuch asMultnomah Falls.This section forms a loop with theMount Hood Scenic Byway.
• The 16 easternmost miles ending in The Dalles.

The remaining portions of the HCRH designated for non-motorized use are now known as theHistoric Columbia River Highway State Trail.These are being developed as money becomes available. Roughly seven miles betweenHood RiverandMosierhave been open to non-motorized traffic since 2000, passing through the historic Mosier Tunnels.

Once restoration is complete, the highway will serve as a scenic and alternative bicycle route for I-84 and US 30 between The Dalles and Portland. Currently, cyclists wishing to travel between these two towns must ride on the shoulders of I-84 for much of the distance, or the much more dangerous and narrowState Route 14on the Washington side of the river.

The Columbia River Highway is the nation's oldest scenic highway. In 1984 it was recognized as aNational Historic Civil Engineering Landmarkby theAmerican Society of Civil Engineers.In 2000 it was designated aNational Historic Landmarkby theNational Park Serviceas "an outstanding example of modern highway development".

TheColumbia River Highway Historic Districtwas listed on theNational Register of Historic Placesin 1983. It includes 38contributing structureson 529 acres (2.14 km²).

See also

• Columbia River Gorge
• List of National Historic Landmarks in Oregon
• List of Registered Historic Places in Oregon

External links

• Historic American Engineering Record(HAER) No. OR-36, "Historic Columbia River Highway, Troutdale, Multnomah County, OR",112 photos, 27 measured drawings, 3 data pages, 11 photo caption pages
• Historic Columbia River HighwayArchivedMarch 6, 2012, at theWayback Machine:History, Features, Historic Photos and Postcards, Hiking, Camping, Cycling
• Hadlow, Robert."Columbia River Highway".The Oregon Encyclopedia.
• 50th Anniversary Exhibitof theOregon State Archives
• Heritage Preservation Servicesof the National Park Service
• National Historic Landmark data sheet
• National Scenic Byways Program page
• Oregon Department of Transportation page
• Oregon Parks and Recreation state trail page
• Heritage Preservation Services,National Park Service
• Flexibility in Highway Design,Federal Highway Administration
• Friends of the Historic Columbia River Highway
• (Historical) Oregon State Highway System Map - Oregon State Highway Commission(as adopted: November 27, 1917)
• Official State Map of Oregon-ODOT- Transportation Development Division - Geographic Information Services Unit
• History of State Highways in Oregon-ODOTSalem Headquarters, Right of Way Engineering (August 4, 2017)