Mitchell Point Tunnel

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Inside the tunnel Mitchell Point 2.png
Inside the tunnel

The Mitchell Point Tunnel is a tunnel at the eastern end of the Historic Columbia River Highway in Oregon, United States, west of Hood River. The original tunnel existed from 1915 to 1966. A pedestrian and bike only tunnel opened on March 21, 2025, after a dedication ceremony on November 16, 2024.

Contents

History

Looking up from the river Mitchell Point Tunnel from below.jpg
Looking up from the river
Entrance to the tunnel Mitchell Point Tunnel.png
Entrance to the tunnel

The tunnel was designed by John Arthur Elliott, who was inspired by a tunnel similarly set into a cliff face above Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. [1] It was built in 1915 and opened late in the year, the first major roadway tunnel in the United States. [2] The tunnel measured 390 feet (120 m) long, 18 feet (5.5 m) wide, and 10 feet (3.0 m) tall. [2] At the time it was one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive, sections of road ever built. [3] [4]

In 1932, the Toothrock Tunnel was opened, and some traffic was rerouted to the new alignment, [5] though Mitchell Point Tunnel remained open to vehicle traffic until the early 1950s, when the road was rerouted to the base of Mitchell Point. [1] The tunnel was subsequently blocked off with debris, and remained closed until 1966 when it was destroyed as part of Interstate 80N construction. [1]

"The Most Costly Road in the World" "Mitchell's Point Cut on Columbia Expensive Piece of Highway Engineering" July, 1915 article (part 1) "The Most Costly Road in the World" "Mitchell's Point Cut on Columbia Expensive Piece of Highway Engineering" July, 1915 article (part 1) - Motoring Magazine and Motor Life July 1915 (page 16 crop).jpg
"The Most Costly Road in the World" "Mitchell's Point Cut on Columbia Expensive Piece of Highway Engineering" July, 1915 article (part 1)
"The Most Costly Road in the World" "Mitchell's Point Cut on Columbia Expensive Piece of Highway Engineering" July, 1915 article (part 2) "The Most Costly Road in the World" "Mitchell's Point Cut on Columbia Expensive Piece of Highway Engineering" July, 1915 article (part 2) -Motoring Magazine and Motor Life July 1915 (page 17 crop).jpg
"The Most Costly Road in the World" "Mitchell's Point Cut on Columbia Expensive Piece of Highway Engineering" July, 1915 article (part 2)

As part of the rebuilding of the Columbia River Highway into a network of trails, the Oregon Department of Transportation has considered the possibility of boring a new tunnel on Mitchell Point. [6]

Mitchell's Point is named for Captain Mitchell, an early Oregon settler who was said to have jumped from the point to commit suicide, rather than be captured by natives, during a conflict in 1856 later dubbed the Cascades Massacre. [7] In 1921 there were two proposals to change the name to honor heroes of overseas wars. [8]

In 2021 the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced commencement of a project to build a replica tunnel in the original location. [9] On November 16, 2024, ODOT held a preview event, letting people view the Columbia River Gorge from Mitchell Point Tunnel for the first time in 71 years. [10] The tunnel opened on March 21, 2025.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Historic Columbia River Highway Recording Project" (PDF). Oregon Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Berlow, Lawrence (2015). Reference Guide to Famous Engineering Landmarks of the World: Bridges, Tunnels, Dams, Roads and Other Structures. Routledge. ISBN   978-1579580926.
  3. ↑ Motoring Magazine and Motor Life, July 1915, p. 14
  4. ↑ "The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current, July 11, 1915, SECTION THREE, Page 11, Image 43 « Historic Oregon Newspapers".
  5. ↑ "Tunnel Creator Honored by Scholarship". Columns - The University of Washington Alumni Magazine. March 2002. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Mitchell Point project receives $28 million from US Dept. of Transportation". Gorge News Center. November 26, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Native Americans attack Americans at the Cascades of the Columbia on March 26, 1856" . Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  8. ↑ Simpson, Claude L. (October 9, 1921). "Scenic Point Turns Mind to Tragic Legend". Oregon Journal .
  9. ↑ "Columbia Gorge's Mitchell Point Tunnel Soon to Be a Restored Treasure". My Oregon News. May 20, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  10. ↑ Maus, Jonathan (November 11, 2024). "Mitchell Point Tunnel in the Gorge open to the public for first time in 71 years this weekend". Bike Portland. Retrieved February 24, 2025.

45°42′15″N121°37′01″W / 45.704096°N 121.616839°W / 45.704096; -121.616839

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