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Historic Highway Reopened After Eagle Creek Fire

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Historic Highway Reopened After Eagle Creek Fire Fire-recovery work included removing loose rock, installing rockfall protective fencing and adding containment mesh pinned to the hillside. Historic Highway reopened after Eagle Creek Fire On Nov. 23, the Oregon Department of Transportation opened the six miles of the Historic Columbia River Highway between Bridal Veil and Ainsworth State Park that have been closed since Sept. 4, 2017. Visitors will notice changes along the Historic Highway. As a result of the Eagle Creek Fire, ODOT, the U.S. Forest Service and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department have reduced formal and informal parking to protect visitors from falling rocks. Visitors should heed the Ready, Set, GOrge! Recommendations and visit early or mid-week. Do not park in undesignated areas and obey all parking restrictions. There are additional law enforcement patrols and tow trucks standing by to help address congestion and enforce parking violations. What is open: What will remain closed: • The Historic Columbia River Highway between Bridal Veil and • Trails east of Multnomah Falls, including Ainsworth State Park (for travel in both directions for all users). Oneonta Gorge. • Some trails west of Multnomah Falls, including Angel’s Rest, • Marked and informal parking spots Horsetail Falls Trailhead to Pony Falls and Wahkeenah Falls. Visit along the Historic Highway, including the U.S. Forest Service website for more details. at Multnomah Falls, because of fire- • Multnomah Falls’ Benson Bridge to the upper viewing platform, and related hazards. Larch Mountain Trail to the top. Nov. 29, 2018 Crews install fencing on the slopes above the viaduct east of Multnomah Falls. Left: Photo courtesy of USFS Hazard tree removal near Multnomah Falls. Right: Photo courtesy of Trail Keepers of Oregon Devil’s Rest trail repair in November 2018. What hazards did ODOT address during the Partner agency accomplishments: closure? • The U.S. Forest Service completed • In partnership with the USFS and OPRD, we removed substantial rockfall and hazard tree around 9,000 hazard trees in danger of falling on the Historic removal at Multnomah Falls. Columbia River Highway and State Trail. • Nearly 2,500 volunteers put in 24,769 • We repaired wooden and stone masonry guardrail. hours for trail recovery work with the U.S. Forest Service and Oregon Parks and • We addressed falling rock hazards by removing loose rock, Recreation Department. building more than 3,000 feet of rockfall protective fencing and adding containment mesh pinned into the hillside. • Thirty-one of 34 Oregon State Parks in the Columbia River Gorge are scheduled to • We continually cleaned rock and tree debris off the highway. be open in the next several weeks. All but In three weeks in April 2018, crews removed more than 1,000 four miles of Oregon State Park trails are cubic yards of debris alone. scheduled to be open in the next several • We placed concrete barriers where we anticipate additional weeks, making about 87 percent of trails rockfall to protect people and vehicles. open in the West Gorge. Tips for travelers • Winter weather may force closures of the Historic Highway and/or I-84. Visit TripCheck. com for closure information. • Go early or go mid-week. • Use ReadySetGorge.com and the U.S. Forest Service website to plan your trip and see which hikes are open. • Obey all parking restrictions. Vehicles violating restrictions or blocking driveways will be towed. • Do not make U-turns on the Historic Highway (per Oregon law). • Be aware of your surroundings. Hazards are always present. • Ride the Columbia Gorge Express to Multnomah Falls, Cascade Locks and Hood River. Questions? Katelyn Jackson ODOT Community Affairs 503-731-8503 or Top: ODOT reduced marked and informal parking spots where additional [email protected] hazards are anticipated (concrete barriers will be painted brown). Bottom: ODOT installed rockfall fencing on the viaducts on either side of Terra Lingley Multnomah Falls to reduce rockfall hazards. ODOT Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Coordinator The Phased Reopening: one-way project on hold 503-731-8232 or [email protected] This past summer, ODOT considered opening the Historic Highway in a one- way configuration for a short-term demonstration project, which we called the phased reopening. Westbound vehicular traffic would have been restricted Media inquiries? between Ainsworth State Park, and just west of Wahkeena Falls. Don Hamilton We may pursue a limited duration one-way configuration in 2019. Additional ODOT Public Information Officer information on the one-way will be available on historichighway.org as we get 503-704-7452 or closer to spring 2019. [email protected] Who do I call to report unsafe actions? For ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) or Civil Rights Title VI accom- • In the event of a life-threatening or severe emergency, call 911. modations, translation/interpretation • For non-emergencies, please contact the Multnomah County services, or more information call non-emergency line at 503-823-3333. 503-731-4128, TTY 800-735-2900 or • To contact ODOT about road hazards or unsafe conditions on the Historic Oregon Relay Service 7-1-1. Highway or I-84 after hours, please contact our dispatch center at ¿Hablas español? Podemos propor- 503-283-5859. cionar la información de esta publi- • To contact ODOT about maintenance issues on our highways, please call cación en español, por favor llame al our maintenance district at 503-665-4193. 503-731-4128. • Corbett community contacts: Deputy Graziano voice mail 503-849-1206.
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