Mitchell Point Tunnel
TheMitchell Point Tunnelwas atunnellocated towards the eastern end of theHistoric Columbia River HighwayinOregon,United States.It existed from 1915 to 1966.
History
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The tunnel was designed by John Arthur Elliott, who was inspired by a tunnel similarly set into a cliff face aboveLake Lucernein Switzerland.[1]It was built in 1915 and opened late in the year, the first major roadway tunnel in the United States.[2]The tunnel measured 390 feet (120 m) long, 18 feet (5.5 m) wide, and 10 feet (3.0 m) tall.[2]At the time it was one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive, sections of road ever built.[3][4]
In 1932, theToothrock Tunnelwas opened, and some traffic was rerouted to the new alignment,[5]though Mitchell Point Tunnel remained open to vehicle traffic until the early 1950s, when the road was rerouted to the base ofMitchell Point.[1]The tunnel was subsequently blocked off with debris, and remained closed until 1966 when it was destroyed as part ofInterstate 80Nconstruction.[1]
As part of the rebuilding of the Columbia River Highway into a network of trails, the Oregon Department of Transportation has considered the possibility of boring a new tunnel on Mitchell Point.[6]
Mitchell's Point is named for Captain Mitchell, an early Oregon settler who was said to have jumped from the point to commit suicide, rather than be captured by natives, during a conflict in 1856 later dubbed theCascades Massacre.[7]In 1921 there were two proposals to change the name to honor heroes of overseas wars.[8]
In 2021 the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced commencement of a project to build a replica tunnel in the original location.[9]Construction is underway, with a tentative completion date of June, 2024.[10]
See also
[edit]- List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Oregon
- List of tunnels documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Oregon
References
[edit]- ^abc"Historic Columbia River Highway Recording Project"(PDF).Oregon Department of Transportation.Retrieved18 April2017.
- ^abBerlow, Lawrence (2015).Reference Guide to Famous Engineering Landmarks of the World: Bridges, Tunnels, Dams, Roads and Other Structures.Routledge.ISBN978-1579580926.
- ^Motoring Magazine and Motor Life, July 1915, p. 14
- ^"The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current, July 11, 1915, SECTION THREE, Page 11, Image 43 « Historic Oregon Newspapers".
- ^"Tunnel Creator Honored by Scholarship".Columns - The University of Washington Alumni Magazine. March 2002.Retrieved18 April2017.
- ^"Mitchell Point project receives $28 million from US Dept. of Transportation".Gorge News Center. 26 November 2016.Retrieved18 April2017.
- ^"Native Americans attack Americans at the Cascades of the Columbia on March 26, 1856".Retrieved2021-06-02.
- ^Simpson, Claude L. (October 9, 1921)."Scenic Point Turns Mind to Tragic Legend".Oregon Journal.
- ^"Columbia Gorge's Mitchell Point Tunnel Soon to Be a Restored Treasure".My Oregon News.2021-05-20.Retrieved2021-12-13.
- ^"Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail - Mitchell Point Crossing (project newsletter)"(PDF).Western Federal Lands Highway Division. Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. 2024-01-12.
External links
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The full text ofThe Most Costly Road in the Worldat Wikisource- Historic American Engineering Record(HAER) No. OR-36-R, "Historic Columbia River Highway, Mitchell Point Tunnel and Viaduct, Through Lower Mitchell Point on Historic Columbia River Highway, Troutdale, Multnomah County, OR",29 data pages
- Vintage Postcards of Mitchell Point Tunnel
