Mount Hood Freeway
Mount Hood Freeway | |
|---|---|
Proposed Mount Hood Freeway corridor highlighted in red | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 6 mi[1] (9.7 km) |
| History | Canceled in 1974 |
| Major junctions | |
| West end | I-5 / US 26 in Portland |
| I-80N / I-205 in Portland | |
| East end | US 26 in Sandy |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| Highway system | |
The Mount Hood Freeway was a proposed freeway in Portland, Oregon. The freeway would have run from the Marquam Bridge in Central Eastside to Interstate 205. The freeway would have been part of U.S. Route 26 and Interstate 80N (now Interstate 84). Other related projects would have extended the route to neighboring suburb of Gresham.
Planning for the freeway started in 1955 when the original plans for the freeway were presented in a report by the Oregon State Highway Department. The report proposed the construction of 14 new highways in the Portland metropolitan area. These proposals were created by urban planner Robert Moses.
Route description
The approximately 6 mi (9.7 km) freeway[2] was intended to be an 8 lane thoroughfare between Interstate 5 and Interstate 205, running parallel to the Banfield Expressway. The route would have begun on the Marquam Bridge, proceeding running south of the current location of Southeast Division Street until Southeast 52nd Avenue. From here, it would have turned southeast before running parallel to Southeast Powell Boulevard (the current-day alignment of U.S. Route 26).[3][4][5] The freeway was intended to be a part of Interstate 80N (current-day Interstate 84).
A planned future expansion would have continued the freeway east parallel to Powell Boulevard before bypassing Gresham. The bypass would have run through the present day location of Gresham Butte before the freeway ended at an interchange southeast of Gresham. From here, an expressway segment, the Mount Hood Expressway, would have continued to Sandy.
History
Planning for the freeway began in 1955 when a report was presented to the Oregon State Highway Commission. This report proposed the construction of 14 new major thorough fares in Portland, including multiple expressways and freeways.
Initially, the Mount Hood Freeway was tentatively planned to open between 1968 and 1972.[6]
Legacy
See also
- Oregon portal
- U.S. Roads portal
- Neil Goldschmidt
- MAX Blue Line
- MAX Yellow Line
References
- ^ Young, Bob (March 9, 2005). "Highway to Hell". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on April 30, 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
- ^ "MOSES OFFERS PLAN FOR PORTLAND JOBS; Employment for 20,000 After War Is Estimated in His Public Works Program". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
- ^ "Feb. 4, 1974: Portland kills the Mount Hood Freeway..." Willamette Week. November 5, 2014. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
- ^ "HIGHWAY TO HELL". Willamette Week. March 9, 2005. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
- ^ "MAX: A Transportation Transformation" (PDF). TriMet. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 18, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
- ^ Edwards, Herman (March 12, 1962). "Storm Clouds Gather Over Proposed Laurelhurst Freeway". The Oregonian. p. 6. Retrieved March 15, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
- Ballestrem, Val. "Mount Hood Freeway". The Oregon Encyclopedia.
- ORoads - Mount Hood Freeway