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The Historic Columbia River Highway News is your source for updates and information regarding efforts to remember, restore and reconnect the Historic Columbia River Highway and State Trail--a world class adventure from Portland to The Dalles. 
Historic Moffett Creek Bridge
Historic Moffett Creek Bridge
Historic Highway Advisory Committee
To Meet in The Dalles
GetInvolved

 

The Historic Columbia River Highway Advisory Committee will meet at the Gorge Discovery Center in The Dalles on June 18th from 10 am - 2 pm. The meeting highlights include:

  • An update on the Historic Highway State Trail section opening in 2013
  • A project overview of the preliminary engineering being completed on the Historic Highway
  • An announcement of Historic Highway related summer events.
Travel Oregon staff gets a sneak preview of the new State Trail's McCord Creek Bridge
Travel Oregon Staff gets sneak peak of the State Trail's new McCord Creek Bridge.

 For more information  on the Advisory Committee, contact  Kristen Stallman 

To view the meeting agenda and read past meeting minutes please click here

 
State Trail Opening Celebration Planned trailcelebration

 

The Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail construction from JB Yeon State Park to Moffett Creek will wrap up this summer and the official opening is planned for September 14, 2013. Upon completion of this 1.6 mile segment cyclists will be able to ride from Troutdale on the Historic Columbia River Highway past Vista House, Multnomah Falls. Riders will join the State Trail just east of Ainsworth State Park where they will be able to ride on the multi-use trail all the way into Cascade Locks.

 

The City of Cascade Locks hosts a community event for all --Historic Highway Revived  Celebration--to celebrate the the trail's completion--on WaNaPa Street in downtown Cascade Locks--the original route of the Columbia River Highway. Also, the Friends of the Columbia Gorge have planned a campout complete with campfires talks at the Eagle Creek Overlook.

 

Save the entire weekend (Sept 14-15) and plan to join in the celebration and spend time exploring the Gorge.    

Yeon to Moffet sneak peak
Trail work continues under I-84 at the Moffett Creek Bridge

 

 Register Now for the Gorge Ride  

and the Cascade to Crown RideGorgeRide

 

The seventh annual Gorge Ride sponsored by the Friends of the Historic Columbia River Highway will be held Saturday, June 15, 2013, beginning at the Gorge Discovery Center. The ride extends 19.25 miles along the Historic Highway and State Trail west to the Senator Mark O. Hatfield West Trailhead, just east of Hood River then returns for a total of 38.5 miles. The ride benefits the Friends whose mission is to support the restoration and reconnection of the Historic Highway. Online registration is now open at www.GorgeRide.com  

Cyclists climb up to Rowena Crest  

 

Plan on coming out on September 15 for the Cascade to Crown Ride and be one of the first to ride from Cascade Locks to Crown Point on the new Historic Highway Trail Segment. For more information click here 

Old Cars Tour the Old Roadoldcars

 

Mark your calendar for the 4th Annual Antique Car Tour on July 14th. New this year, the Western Antique Aero Plane and Automobile Museum (start and end point) will have their Traffic Jam Car Show the same day. Vehicles built in 1949 and earlier will carry passengers who are not able to walk through the Mosier Twin Tunnels. For registration information or to catch a ride, contact [email protected]. 

Antique cars  

   

Finding Your Way on the Historic Highwaysignplan

 

At the March 2013 Historic Highway Advisory Committee meeting, a new sign plan for the Historic Highway State Trail was approved. 

 

The idea behind the plan was to help visually connect the drivable segments of the highway with the

new sign plan
The new sign plan helps hikers and cyclists identify the
Historic Highway State Trail

State Trail segments. It is important that visitors,

especially cyclists, can find their way through the Gorge on the Historic Highway and this plan will help make that easier. The new signs will incorporate the Historic Route 30 shield. Unfortunately, no funding is presently available for the new signs but with the plan in place we will be seeking implementation funds.

 

For more information on the plan, click here.

 

Go the Extra Mile - Ride Single Fileridesinglefile

 

The Historic Columbia River Highway is one of Oregon's most popular and scenic destinations regardless of your preferred mode of travel. The 73-mile route from Troutdale to The Dalles provides the most amazing views that the  Columbia River Gorge has to offer, from waterfalls to windswept high plains. The highway was constructed in 1913 with a maximum 5 percent grade, making it an ideal route for a long distance bike ride. The Historic Highway is also a designated National Scenic Byway, making it a popular shared route for motorists and bicyclists alike. In 2013, the Historic Highway will see improvements that will make this scenic gem more accessible, with more opportunities for visitors to enjoy the Gorge by foot, bike, and car.

 

On May 24th, the section of the Historic Highway between Larch Mountain Road and Latourell Falls reopened after being closed to all traffic (including bicycles and pedestrians) through the winter while repairs were made to the Crown Point Viaduct around Vista House. The Historic Highway will have periodic lane closures until repairs are completed in mid-June. These closures may cause small delays for all users, so please plan ahead and be alert and courteous when sharing the road.  

 

Narrow and winding sections of roadway contribute to the Historic Highway's charm, but can also lead to tension between users, especially during the peak summer months. This spring ODOT will install Share the Road signs in several locations along the Historic Highway between the Sandy River and Vista House to alert drivers to the presence of cyclists. This road is a precious resource that is shared by many users and it is important that we are all respectful and considerate to one another. ODOT is also working with local communities and organizations to increase understanding of proper road-sharing behavior:

  • Motorists should pass cyclists with care when it is safe to do so, and be patient in areas where topography, debris, or the narrow roadway makes it safer for cyclists to ride in the center of the lane.
  • Cyclists should ride to the right and single-file when traffic approaches and allow motorists to pass when the road is wide enough to safely do so.
Columbia River Gorge: World Heritage Site?worldheritage

At the 2013 Active Transportation Summit on April 24th in Salem, Dr. A J Zelada, the chair of the Oregon Pedestrian Bicycle Advisory Committee challenged the audience to imagine the impact a World Heritage Site designation would have on Columbia River Gorge. The Gorge has potential to be a World Heritage Site and England's Hadrian's Wall Heritage Site is a terrific role model to follow. The economic development that England has experienced has brought consistent and beneficial support to many communities along this nationally significant trail.  

 

Dr. Zelada encouraged Oregonians to see the Gorge and the Historic Highway through this new lens. A World Heritage Site Designation would help bridge the east and west Gorge and focus our attention on the beauty, unique natural and cultural history present in the entire Gorge.

  

Eagle Creek Bridge
A scenic view of the Eagle Creek Bridge
Could this be a World Heritage Site?

Happy Birthday Troutdale Bridgetroutdalebridge

 

The Troutdale Historical Society held a great birthday party for the Troutdale Bridge on April 20, 2013. The party celebrated the bridge's 101st year serving the community of Troutdale.   

  

The celebration was a fun reason for Highway supporters to celebrate and dress up (participants donned vintage clothes from the 1910s). With an inspirational speech from Gertrude Glutsch Jensen (Sharon Nesbit)and encouraging words from HCRH designer Sam Lancaster him

self (Chet Orloff) the group marched across the bridge for a photo opportunity and then gathered for a catered brunch at Glen Otto Park.

Chet Orloff as Sam Lancaster
Sam Lancaster (as depicted by Chett Orloff) addresses the crowd.

 

The event kicked of a fundraising campaign for the Troutdale Historical Society's exhibit celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Columbia River Highway in 2016.

 

 

Love the Historic Highway?

Why not adopt it?adopthighway

 

The Adopt-A-Highway program provides an opportunity for volunteers to clean up litter and remove noxious weeds along the Historic Highway. Several scenic segments along the Historic Highway are still up for grabs! Volunteers may be individuals, families, groups or businesses and must be willing to commit to at least one year of volunteer service with a minimum of litter clean up four times a year or noxious weed removal two times a year. Work activities may also include graffiti removal and maintenance of existing landscaped areas.

 

To learn more click here or call Marlene Nichols 

at 503-665-4193.


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Contact  
Kristen Stallman, Historic Columbia River Highway Coordinator
Oregon Department of Transportation, Region 1
503-731-4957   [email protected]