May 22, 2025 - News

Oregon Outside: Historic Columbia River Highway reopens

Kale Williams

A historic road runs through a forest with art deco decorations along the side. — This way to waterfalls. Photo: Courtesy of the Oregon Department of Transportation

Waterfall lovers will have an easier time getting around the Gorge after the state completed repairs on a section of the Historic Columbia River Highway earlier than expected.

Why it matters: Prior to the reopening, drivers navigating the waterfall corridor — more than a dozen waterfalls along less than 9 miles of roadway — often had to backtrack several miles and get on Interstate 84 to drive around the closure.

Driving the news: A section of the highway west of Multnomah Falls closed last fall to restore an elevated part of the roadway that's registered as a National Historic Landmark.

Crews patched the original decorative concrete, reinforced the structure and poured a new road surface, all about a week faster than anticipated.

What's next: There are likely to be periodic lane closures throughout the summer to clean up construction debris and complete smaller projects.

Meanwhile, the section of the highway east of Multnomah Falls is slated to close in the fall so it can be restored.

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Oregon Outside: Historic Columbia River Highway reopens

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