Historic Columbia River Highway Advisory Committee Meeting€¦ · Completion of 1.2 miles of trail connection between Starvation Creek and Lindsey Creek. Construction is occurring

Historic Columbia River Highway Advisory Committee Meeting

Corbett Grange

37493 Grange Hall Road, Corbett THURSDAY, March 15, 2018 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Advisory Committee Meeting 2:00 – 3:30 PM Join us for a special celebration in honor of Kevin Price (Vista House)

AGENDA:

Time Agenda Topics Presenter

10:00 AM Call to Order Arthur Babitz, Chair

10:05 AM Opportunity for the public to comment on any item not on the agenda

10:10 AM Approval Minutes Arthur Babitz, Chair

10:15 AM Wyeth to Lindsey Creek State Trail Construction Update

Knud Martin, WFLHD

10:30 AM Historic Highway State Trail Design Updates

Mitchell Point (Segment F)

Segment E, G, and H

Mike Odom, WFLHD John Horne, WSP Kevin Bracy, DEA

11:05 AM Congestion and Safety Study update Terra Lingley, ODOT

11:20 AM FLAP application (letter of support) Arthur Babitz, Chair

11:30 AM Columbia Gorge Express planning process, upcoming

Jake Warr, ODOT

11:45 AM Staff Updates

Columbia Gorge Tourism Alliance Update

Fire Recovery Meetings

Future Meetings o June 14th 2018, The Dalles o September 13th 2018, Hood

River o December 13th 2018, Cascade

Locks o March 21st 2019, Mosier

ODOT

11:55 AM Break – Pick Up Lunches

12:15 PM Fire recovery process discussion All

1:00 PM Updates

Friends of the Historic Columbia River Highway

OPRD

Travel Oregon

USFS

WFLHD

1:30 PM Committee Round Table

2:00 PM Adjourn

*Note: Boxed lunches will be available for HCRH AC Members. Others are encouraged to bring a lunch or purchase a lunch elsewhere.

June Agenda items - Columbia Gorge Express mid-season update - Chenowith, Dry Creek and Mosier Bridge completion photo essay

Historic Columbia River Highway Advisory Committee 2018 Work Plan

1. Congestion Mitigation Planning Effort 2. Historic Guardrail Research/Analysis and speed zone analysis 3. Ready, Set, Gorge Phase II 4. Multnomah Falls Site Design 5. Columbia Gorge Express –Year 3 6. Mitchell Point Crossing Design 7. The Final Five Miles Engineering 8. Continue to identify funding for State Trail 9. Construction of Segments A-C underway 10. Twin Tunnels Safety Improvements Implementation 11. Wayfinding Implementation – RTP grant 12. HR Route 30 sign installation –Cascade Locks/Rock Creek Road 13. Eagle Creek Fire Recovery – Funding 14. Multnomah Falls Viaducts 15. Larch Mountain Slide – Funding 16. Gorge Commission Management Plan Update

     March 15, 2017  Program Decision Committee Federal Lands Access Program  Attention: Matt Fletcher Western Federal Lands Highway Division 610 E Fifth Street Vancouver, WA 98661  Re: Support for Federal Lands Access Program Funding for the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail: Viento State Park to Mitchell Creek  Program Decision Committee:   The Historic Columbia River Highway Advisory Committee urges your strong support for the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail segment: Viento State Park to Mitchell Creek. This is a great project worthy of your support for the following reasons.  

 New Modes = New Access  Currently, the only safe way to access the Columbia River Gorge  is by car. This project will construct a 1.7 mile multi‐use trail connection between Viento State Park and Mitchell Creek paralleling  I‐84  through  the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.   

 The Historic Highway project makes sense now The Historic Columbia River Highway, coupled with the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, presents a world class adventure accessing Federal Lands in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail is a project of state and national significance. This project presents the opportunity to create a “legacy” project that will be enjoyed well beyond our lifetimes much like Sam Hill’s and Samuel Lancaster’s devotion behind the Columbia River Highway – America’s Greatest Highway. The project will transform how visitors and residents experience the Gorge.   

 Timing is ideal In the summer of 2017, the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail was affected by the Eagle Creek Fire. The Federal Lands Access Program funds would greatly accelerate our region’s recovery. In 2016, Oregonians celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the construction of the Historic Highway. In 2008, the Historic Columbia River Highway Advisory Committee laid out an ambitious vision to reconnect the highway as a trail. They called their campaign the Milepost 2016 Reconnection Strategy. In nine short years incredible progress towards this vision has been made. Federal Lands Access Program Funding will keep this vision alive and provide the project with the needed momentum to keep us on course to reconnect the old highway as trail. 

 Momentum and support is growing The mayors of the Gorge communities support this project along with other leaders in the region. The Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, and the USFS Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Management Unit are working together to advance this project. They have collectively raised $51.6 million. As of 2017, the following has been accomplished: 

Construction on a critical 1.6 mile trail connection between Cascade Locks and Troutdale is complete. 

Completion of 1.2 miles of trail connection between Starvation Creek and Lindsey Creek.  

Construction is occurring on another 3.2 miles of trail.   

Reconnaissance resource surveys (Natural and Environmental) are complete.  

Historic Columbia River Highway Advisory Committee123 NW Flanders St.

Portland, OR 97209

Phone: (503) 731‐8200

Survey is complete as well as the scope of work for the geo‐technical investigations.  

10% trail design is complete. Funding for the engineering has been secured. 

Mitchell Point crossing is 100% funded.  

 Federal Lands Access Program Funds will leverage funding for the project  The Western Federal Lands Highway Division of the Federal Highway Administration is managing this project and will have bid ready plans complete fall 2019. In 2016, Oregon was awarded $31M in Federal Lands Access Funds for the design and construction of the Mitchell Point Crossing and the engineering for the remaining trail segments. Together these individual projects will greatly advance the overall project to reconnect the historic highway. These projects will bring our nation and the State of Oregon one step closer to realizing the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area’s vision to reconnect the abandoned segments of the Historic Columbia River Highway, once hailed as the “King of Roads” with a trail, the “King of Trails,” a world class adventure. This segment of the trail is part of a larger trail project, and Western Federal Lands has already confirmed the benefit that this project has to federal lands access. 

 Provides an economic development tool for our communities With the completion of both bicycle trail development projects – the Wyeth to Starvation Creek Trail project and Mitchell Point tunnel to Hood River project – bicyclists will make an additional $6.3 million in expenditures per year in the local communities throughout the Gorge. Additional bicycle recreation spending will further support 82 full and part‐time jobs with approximately $1.7 million in earnings and $270,000 in state and local tax receipts annually.  

 Improves Interstate Safety The proposed project constructs a trail between Viento State Park and Mitchell Creek. This project will keep cyclists off the shoulder of Interstate 84 which is an interstate facility with high freight traffic, narrow shoulders and high speeds. Significantly, in 2014 a cyclist was killed along this section of Interstate 84 near the Viento Exit.   

Improves Recreation Access and Asset Management This project will provide access to several underdeveloped State Parks. No private property acquisition is required for the construction of the trail. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) has completed a Comprehensive Plan for the Columbia River Gorge Unit Properties. This multi‐year planning effort was prompted by the increase in recreational use of the OPRD Gorge land holdings. ODOT and OPRD are concurrently seeking additional funding to construct additional trail segments in concert with this request. We are exploring many options to leverage available funding to expand funding opportunities.    Thank you  for  the opportunity  to apply  for  funding  for  this important multi‐modal  facility  that will  transform how Oregon’s residents and  tourists access  the  recreational opportunities,  transform our  transportation  system  in  the Gorge and help  the trails recover from the Eagle Creek Fire.   Respectfully,   

Arthur Babitz, Chair Historic Columbia River Highway Advisory Committee Hood River County Representative  

Wayne P Stewart, Vice‐Chair Historic Columbia River Highway Advisory Committee Multnomah County Representative  

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Star vat ion CreekTrai lhead

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Coming in 2020: Mitchell Point Crossing

Historic Mitchell Point Viaduct

To d ay we a re f a ce d w i t h t h e q u e s t i o n o f h ow to g e t a c ro s s M i tc h e l l Po i nt to re co n n e c t t h e H i s to r i c H i g hway a s a St ate Tra i l . Th e Fe d e ra l L a n d s Acce s s Pro gra m f u n d s w i l l a l l ow u s to d e te r m i n e t h e m o s t a p p ro p r i ate d e s i gn a l te r n at i ve to g e t a ro u n d, o r t h ro u g h , t h i s ro c k y o u tc ro p p i n g a n d to co n s t r u c t t h e c ro s s i n g. Th i s ye a r we w i l l b e m a k i n g p ro gre s s towa rd t h e d e s i gn ! I s a n e w M i tc h e l l Po i nt Tu n n e l i n o u r f u t u re o r p e r h a p s i t ’s a n e w v i a d u c t ? Th e e n gi n e e r i n g wo r k i s s t a r t i n g to a n s we r t h i s q u e s t i o n s o we c a n s t a r t co n s t r u c t i o n i n 2 0 2 0 .

Mitchell Point TodayMitchel l Po int Tunnel was c losed in 1953 to make room to bui ld what would become Interstate 84. Mitchel l Po int today prov ides opportunities for many v istas .

More Funding Needed ODOT secured funding to complete the engineer ing for the remaining 4 mi les of State Trai l bet ween Viento State Park and the Cit y of Hood R iver. However, construc t ion funds for the �nal segments need to be identi�ed. Engineer ing is scheduled to be completed in 2019 and with permits in hand, the State Trai l wi l l be “shovel ready.” This means the projec t is ready to be bid out to construc t ion contrac tors. ODOT and projec t proponents are seek ing the remaining funding (approximately $22M) to complete the reconnec t ion of the H istor ic Columbia R iver H ighway.

Fal l ing rocks are common occurrences in the dynamic Gorge landscape.

Viento to Mitchell Creek: Between a Rock and a Hard Place I n cer ta in locat ions control led rock blast ing wi l l be necessar y to provide space for the tra i l footpr int and the required rockfal l protec t ion areas. The same rock c l i�s that were in i t ia l ly blasted for the construc t ion of I nterstate 84 wi l l need to be car ved back again to make room for the tra i l and improve safet y for t ra i l and interstate users.

Ruthton Point to Hood RiverJust west of the Cit y of Hood R iver, a fantast ic sec t ion of the H istor ic H ighway awaits to be reconnec ted as a State Trai l . This beauti ful piece of land is referred to as Ruthton Point .

The old highway provides wor ld- c lass v iews of the Columbia R iver Gorge; however, gett ing to Ruthton Point is chal lenging because I nterstate 84 is construc ted on a steep bank leaving l i t t le room for a t ra i l .

A v iew from Ruthton Park shows the ra i l road’s route a long the Columbia R iver.

Closing the G ap: Upcoming State Tra i l Construc t ion

3 Miles of New Trail to Open in 2019: Wyeth to Lindsey CreekTh i s s u m m e r c re ws w i l l co nt i n u e b u i l d i n g a m a z i n g s t r u c t u re s i n c l u d i n g t h e S u m m i t Cre e k Vi a d u c t a n d t h e L i n d s e y Cre e k B e n c h Cu t t h at w i l l b e co m e t h e H i s to r i c Co l u m b i a R i ve r H i g hway St ate Tra i l . Th e s e s t r u c t u re s w i l l h o n o r o u r p a s t a n d t h e i r d e s i gn w i l l i nte grate i nto t h e G o rg e l a n d s c a p e a n d h i s to r y. S k i l l e d ro c k m a s o n s w i l l re � e c t t h e o r i g i n a l c ra f t s m a n s h i p by u s i n g t h e i r s k i l l s p a s s e d d ow n t h ro u g h g e n e rat i o n s to co n s t r u c t e l e g a nt n e w ro c k wa l l s . Th i s 3 - m i l e s e c t i o n o f t h e St ate Tra i l b e t we e n Ca s c a d e Lo c k s a n d H o o d R i ve r w i l l o p e n i n S u m m e r 2 0 1 9 .

A new v iaduct (a br idge over land) wi l l connect the abondoned h ighway segments .

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In coordination with:

For more information visit : w w w.H istoricH ighway.org

During the 2016 and 2017 summer seasons, ODOT pi loted the Columbia Gorge Express, providing weekend and hol iday bus ser vice to Multnomah Fal ls . The ser vice gave Gorge v is i tors an a lternat ive to dr iv ing on the of ten congested H istor ic H ighway, with stops at Gateway Transit Center in Por t land, Rooster Rock State Park , and I nterstate 84 park ing lot at Multnomah Fal ls . O ver the course of the t wo -year pi lot r iders made near ly 60,000 tr ips on the Gorge Express ! Plans for 2018 and beyond include ex tending ser vice to

Eagle Creek Fi re I mpac ts Th e G o rg e h a s f a ce d m a ny c h a l l e n g e s i n 2 0 1 7 . As t h e E a g l e Cre e k Fi re ra g e d, O re g o n i a n s, re s i d e nt s a n d v i s i to r s gr i e ve d a s o u r b e l ove d G o rg e b u r n e d. 2 0 1 8 i s a b o u t re b u i l d i n g. R e s to rat i o n o f s e c t i o n s o f t h e H i s to r i c H i g hway St ate Tra i l i s i n p ro gre s s i n c l u d i n g ra i l i n g, m a s o n r y wa l l s a n d s i gn s. Pro j e c t p a r t n e r s a re re m ov i n g b u r n e d t re e s a n d a d d re s s i n g ro c k f a l l h a z a rd s by s e c u r i n g d a m a g e d ro c k f a l l m e s h . Fo r t u n ate l y, t h e re wa s o n l y m i n o r d a m a g e to t h e St ate Tra i l a n d a l l t h e b r i d g e s we re u n s c at h e d by t h e � re. D e s p i te t h e m i n o r s e t b a c k s f ro m t h e � re, n at u re i s b o u n c i n g b a c k a n d ve g e t at i o n i s re t u r n i n g. Fi re re cove r y e �o r t s a re u s i n g t h e re l at i o n s h i p s a n d wo r k i n g a gre e m e nt s d e ve l o p e d a s p a r t o f t h e St ate

Remember Th e H i s to r i c Co l u m b i a R i ve r H i g hway i s o n e o f t h e m o s t s i gn i � c a nt ro a d s i n o u r n at i o n . Co n s t r u c te d b e t we e n 1 9 1 3 - 1 9 2 2 a s Am e r i c a’s � r s t s ce n i c h i g hway, t h e H i s to r i c H i g hway s o o n b e c a m e k n ow n a s t h e “ K i n g o f R o a d s” a n e n gi n e e r i n g m a r ve l .

RestoreB y t h e e a r l y 1 9 5 0 s, t h e i n i t i a l co n s t r u c t i o n o f t h e wate r- l e ve l ro u te t h ro u g h t h e G o rg e o b l i te rate d m a ny s e c t i o n s o f t h e o l d h i g hway, l e av i n g w h at re m a i n e d a s a b a n d o n e d a n d d i s co n n e c te d. M u c h wo r k h a s b e e n d o n e ove r t h e l a s t 3 0 ye a r s s i n ce t h e p a s s a g e o f t h e Co l u m b i a R i ve r G o rg e N at i o n a l S ce n i c Are a Ac t to re s to re t h e Am e r i c a’s gre ate s t h i g hway to i t s 1 9 2 0 s s p l e n d o r.

Reconnec tTh e re co n n e c t i o n o f t h e re m a i n i n g 4 m i l e s o f H i s to r i c Co l u m b i a R i ve r H i g hway St ate Tra i l w i l l c re ate a “ K i n g o f Tra i l s” a l l ow i n g p e d e s t r i a n s a n d c yc l i s t s to ex p e r i e n ce t h e G o rg e c a r- f re e.

Historic Columbia River Highway Advisory Committee

Ar t h u r B a b i t z , C h a i r H o o d R i ve r Co u nt y, G ove r n o r Ap p o i nte e

Way n e Ste wa r t , Vi ce - C h a i rM u l t n o m a h Co u nt y R e p re s e nt at i ve Wi l l i a m D. Pat t i s o nH o o d R i ve r Co u nt y R e p re s e nt at i ve J u d y D av i sWa s co Co u nt y R e p re s e nt at i ve Fra n c i e R oyce Wa s co Co u nt y, G ove r n o r Ap p o i nte e E r n e s t D ra p e l a M u l t n o m a h Co u nt y, G ove r n o r Ap p o i nte e C h r i s t i n e Cu r ra n St ate H i s to r i c Pre s e r vat i o n O � ce

K r i s t i n D a h lTrave l O re g o n

K e v i n Pr i ceO re g o n Pa r k s a n d R e c re at i o n D e p a r t m e nt

R i a n Wi n d s h e i m e rO re g o n D e p a r t m e nt o f Tra n s p o r t at i o n

2018

Histor ic Rock Guardrai l

McCord Creek Br idge was unscathed by the Eagle Creek fire.

addit ional Gorge dest inat ions such as Cascade Locks and Hood R iver, operat ing more days of the week and ex tending ser vice throughout the year .

Tra i l p ro ce s s to re s to re a n d re o p e n t h e a re a s a �e c te d by t h e � re. O n ce re s to rat i o n i s co m p l e te d a n d t h e St ate Tra i l i s d e e m e d s a fe fo r v i s i to r s , t h e t ra i l w i l l re o p e n t h i s s p r i n g.Pr i o r to t h e � re, p ro j e c t p a r t n e r s s t a r te d a Co n g e s t i o n a n d Tra n s p o r t at i o n S a fe t y P l a n . Th e g o a l o f t h e P l a n i s to d e ve l o p a v i s i o n o f h ow v i s i to r s a n d re s i d e nt s t rave l to d e s t i n at i o n s b e t we e n t h e Po r t l a n d Wo m e n’s Fo r u m a n d Ai n s wo r t h St ate Pa r k i n a s a fe r a n d l e s s co n g e s te d m a n n e r. Wh i l e t h e p ro j e c t a re a i s o u t s i d e o f t h e St ate Tra i l s e gm e nt s ; t h i s P l a n w i l l h e l p c yc l i s t s a n d p e d e s t r i a n s ex p e r i e n ce t h e e nt i re H i s to r i c H i g hway.

Columbia Gorge ExpressProject partners tour the Summit Creek V iaduct as i t takes shape.

Vis i tors eager ly waiting in l ine to r ide the Columbia Gorge Express .