Oregon Route 35

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Oregon Route 35

Length:

40.83 mi (65.71 km)

South end:

US 26 near Camp Creek

Major
junctions:

OR 281 in Mount Hood

OR 282 near Odell

US 30 in Hood River

I-84 in Hood River

North end:

WA 14 at Hood River

Oregon Routes
< OR 34		OR 36 >

Oregon Route 35 is an Oregon state highway running between Government Camp, Oregon (on the slopes of Mount Hood) and Hood River, Oregon. It is part of the Mount Hood Scenic Byway, or more formally, the Mount Hood Highway, which is Highway 26 (and which continues west of Government Camp on U.S. Route 26). OR 35 also includes a brief multiplex with U.S. Route 30 in Hood River along the Historic Columbia River Highway, which is Highway 100.

1 Route description
- 1.1 Cities and towns along the route
- 1.2 Intersections with other highways
2 History of washouts
3 Proposed State Route 35 in Washington
4 References

[edit] Route description

OR 35 starts a few miles east of Government Camp, at an interchange with US 26. It then winds it's way around the southeastern side of the mountain, providing access to several ski resorts, snow-parks, hiking trails, campground, and other recreational facilities. After rounding the eastern slope of the mountain, the highway descends into the Hood River valley, a lush farming community famous for its produce (in particular, apples and cherries).

At the bottom of the valley lies the city of Hood River, a haven for windsurfers due to the high winds often present in the Columbia River Gorge. OR 35 provides access to the downtown core, via U.S. Route 30. OR 35 ends just north of an interchange with Interstate 84 at the Hood River Bridge over the Columbia River near Washington State Route 14.

[edit] Cities and towns along the route

[edit] Intersections with other highways

U.S. Route 26 in Government Camp
Oregon Route 282 near Parkdale
U.S. Route 30 in Hood River
Interstate 84 in Hood River
Washington State Route 14 via Hood River Bridge

[edit] History of washouts

OR 35 has had a history of washouts dating back to August 1907, with 20 closures due to washouts, five of which have occurred since September 1998.^[1]

The most recent closure took place on November 7, 2006, involving a section of the highway from milepost 57 to milepost 80. As in the past, the closure is caused by overflow of the White River and the build-up of debris in the White River Canyon which subsequently flows down and overwhelms the highway.^[2] This washout, the worst in memory, cut off access to Mount Hood Meadows in both directions, moved the White River course north and east to the bed of Green Apple Creek, and buried—sometimes 20-30 feet deep—two recreational parking lots, miles of cross-country skiing and hiking trails, and several small Forest Service roads.^[1]

Repair work was anticipated to be completed by December 15, 2006.^[3]^[4]^[5] The route was reopened December 9, a week ahead of schedule.^[6]

[edit] Proposed State Route 35 in Washington

In 1997, Washington proposed a new or improved transportation crossing of the Columbia River to connect Washington State Route 14 with Oregon Route 35 or I-84. It designated this crossing "State Route 35" and publicly announced a plan to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement about the proposal in early 2001.^[7]^[8] A feasibility study for the SR-35 Columbia River Crossing was completed in September 2004.^[9] Due to costs, no further progress has been made on the proposal; instead, the Port of Hood River spent $8 million of its Bridge Repair and Replacement Fund on replacing the bridge's steel deck, underlying stringers and guardrails.^[10]