Historic Columbia River Highway
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The Historic Columbia River Highway (HCRH) is an originally 120 kilometer long scenic highway in the US state of Oregon between the Sandy River near Troutdale and The Dalles . It was the first highway in the US to be built as a scenic highway and is therefore listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a National Historic Landmark .
history
The entrepreneur Samuel Hill and the engineer Samuel C. Lancaster were the main initiators for the construction of the highway through the Columbia River Gorge . Lancaster planned the highway as a scenic highway, which should not only lead as an east-west connection through the Columbia River Gorge, but was also planned from the outset as a panoramic route because of the scenic views of the numerous waterfalls and the gorge of the Columbia River . Lancaster planned the bridges and tunnels along the route as artistic additions to the landscape.
Construction began in 1913 after Hill and his associates convinced the administrations of Multnomah County and the State of Oregon that the Columbia River Highway would become a significant part of the new highway network to be built. Retired timber contractor John B. Yeon took over construction supervision as the road foreman for Multnomah County. The construction was funded with federal and state funds so that the 119 kilometer long highway between Troutdale and The Dalles could be completed in 1922. The construction makes the highway a milestone in modern road construction in America in the 20th century. Its road layout and road drainage were carried out according to Western European models, the highway was lined with dry masonry, led over concrete bridges and through tunnels and was given a paved concrete roadway. The highway continued and eventually reached from the coast to Pendleton , where it was connected to the old Oregon Trail Highway.
Simon Benson , also a retired timber contractor, bought several scenic areas along the route and donated them to the state, which made them publicly accessible as state parks . The Benson State Recreation Area was named after him, the John B. Yeon State Scenic Corridor commemorates the construction manager John B. Yeon.
With the introduction of the US Highway System in 1926, the Columbia River Highway was named US Route 30 . The Columbia River Highway was used by millions of travelers and became one of the most famous highways in the country. However, the increasing car traffic demanded a faster and wider connection through the Columbia River Gorge. From 1930, sections of the old highway were replaced by new, better-developed sections that run close to the river bank. The new route was named Columbia River Highway No 2 . By 1960 the new highway had replaced almost all sections of the old highway. In the 1970s, Columbia River Highway No 2 was expanded to a four-lane freeway and was first named Interstate 80N and later the current name Interstate 84 .
The western section of the old highway was retained as access to the waterfalls and viewpoints, the middle section between Cascade Locks and Hood River was built over for the new interstate, other sections were given up for car traffic and fell into disrepair.
In the 1980s, interest in the old scenic highway reawakened. Starting in 1981, the National Park Service , encouraged by citizens and local authorities, examined the old Columbia River Highway and emphasized the historical and cultural importance of the old route in its investigation report. The Historic Columbia River Highway has been listed as a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places since December 1986 . In May 2000, the highway received the status of a National Historic Landmark . In 1984 the American Society of Civil Engineers named the highway a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark . In 1999 it was declared a National Scenic Byway - All American Road .
The Oregon Department of Transportation , in cooperation with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department , the State Historic Preservation Office and Travel Oregon, has been repairing existing routes since 1987 or re-exposing abandoned sections and examining them for potential restoration. In the meantime, almost 100 of the previously 120 kilometers long route are again accessible to car traffic or as the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail for non-motorized traffic. Some sections had been built over by the new I-84. The historic Scenic Highway should be recognizable throughout by 2016.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Columbia River Highway Historic District on the National Register Information System. National Park Service , accessed February 8, 2020.
- ↑ Listing of National Historic Landmarks by State: Oregon. National Park Service , accessed February 8, 2020.