Historic Hood River
Dry Canyon Creek Bridge Construction
5-19-2020
Notes
This fine A.M. Prentiss view of the construction of the Columbia River Highway bridge over Dry Canyon Creek comes from our friends at ODOT. It is dated to the fall of 1920. It’s a wonderful explanation of what it takes to construct those graceful concrete arches that span a chasm. We saw a good view of the completed structure here.
Category: default
Tags: 1920s, bridge, Columbia River Highway, Dry Canyon Creek Bridge, Prentiss, Rowena Dell, Wasco County
Tags: 1920s, bridge, Columbia River Highway, Dry Canyon Creek Bridge, Prentiss, Rowena Dell, Wasco County
Kenn
Wonder why this road did not follow the previous from Mosier up State road to Ortley and down seven mile grade to Chenowith. This bridge and Rowena loops were not low cost construction.
ArthurB
Just a guess, Kenn– the goal was to create a scenic road along the Columbia, and the “easy” route would have been less scenic. I'll bet they did a route study like this one:
http://historichoodriver.com/index.php?showimage=1536
for this segment of highway too. Maybe it will show up?
ArthurB
Another thought on this route– i wonder if the symmetry of Crown Point and Rowena Crest as gateways to the highway played a role in the route selection? I've always thought of Rowena Crest and Crown Point as bookends to the highway.
L.E.
So……
two more years until you can celebrate the Centennial for this section of road?
ArthurB
That's correct, LE. Plan for a party summer of 2022. We had a post (638) which indicates August 2 as the final day of paving. Hopefully the Model T spread around my garage will be back together by then.
Bob Hadlow, ODOT historian has a report on the alternate routes considered for this section of highway. He reports, “the alignment they chose made the grade and curve standards that they wanted to see on the CRH and offered vistas and pullouts that are part of the experience of driving the highway.”
Arlen Sheldrakes
especially great history with todays posting. two gateways to the Gorge…makes sense but never thought of it.
Kenn
One man designed the road in Multnomah county, another in Hood River county, who did this section in Wasco county?.
Kenn
I have Lancaster's first (1915) report to Multnomah county and Eliot's (1914) to Hood River county, who designed the Wasco county section?