Knowledge you can walk. Read the idea below, then step up to the general, across to peers or down to the specific.
Physical
Historic Columbia River Highway
The Historic Columbia River Highway is a scenic highway in Oregon built through the Columbia River Gorge between 1913 and 1922.
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The idea
The Historic Columbia River Highway is a winding scenic road on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge. It runs between Troutdale, at the eastern edge of urban Portland, and The Dalles. It was the first planned scenic roadway in the United States. A scenic road is designed to show travelers beautiful landscapes along the way, rather than simply carrying them to their destination as quickly as possible.
Lawyer Sam Hill and engineer Samuel C. Lancaster promoted the road and modeled it after the great scenic roads of Europe. Lancaster wanted to make the gorge's waterfalls, canyons and cliffs easy for visitors to reach. His route generally had a maximum grade of 5%, which kept most climbs gentle enough for the underpowered automobiles of that era. Masonry retaining walls kept the highway from sliding off steep hillsides. At Mitchell Point, the builders cut a tunnel with windows through the cliff, like one on Switzerland's Axenstrasse road.
Modern Interstate 84 was built parallel to the old road and replaced it as the main travel route. The western section passes numerous waterfalls, such as Multnomah Falls. Since 2000, roughly seven miles between Hood River and Mosier have been open only to walkers and bike riders.
Check yourself
Question 1 of 3
The highway's promoters modeled it after the great scenic roads of which continent?
Composition
what it's made of
- Bridges and viaducts — Reinforced concrete bridges and viaducts that carried the road over streams and along steep hillsides.
- Tunnels — Rock tunnels such as the Oneonta Tunnel and the Mosier Twin Tunnels.
- Masonry walls — Stone retaining walls and guard walls that keep the road and travelers from falling off the hillside.
- Viewpoints — Stops such as Crown Point Vista House that look out over the gorge.
- State Trail — Car-free sections set aside for walking and biking.
Connection
how it relates
Change
how and why it evolves
- Past
- A completion ceremony was held on June 27, 1922, and the road became part of U.S. Route 30 in 1926. In 2000 it was designated a National Historic Landmark. The Eagle Creek Fire of September 2017 caused rockslides that closed part of the highway until November 23, 2018.
- Now
- Today the Oregon Department of Transportation owns and maintains most of the road, while the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department runs the car-free state trail.
- Next
- More trail sections will likely open as money becomes available, and the finished route is meant to serve as a bicycle route between Portland and The Dalles.