| Gorge bridge replacement helps future hikers and bikers |
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| Gorge bridge replacement helps future hikers and bikers |
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Bridge program links future trail users, PDX to The Dalles
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"Slow but steady wins the race" was a winning strategy for the tortoise in the Aesop fable. Like the tortoise, ODOT has steadily worked for more than 20 years to re-establish the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail through the Columbia River Gorge for cyclists and hikers.
The agency's latest step toward this goal will occur as the bridge program replaces the Interstate 84 eastbound Moffett Creek Bridge. Thanks to receipt of $718,019 from the Transportation Enhancement fund, in the course of replacing the bridge, ODOT will also construct a long retaining wall. This wall will prepare for a 12-foot-wide bed that will accommodate 1.25 miles of the future trail.
The new segment will one day provide a missing link in the HCRH State Trail, allowing bicyclists to ride safely from the Sandy River connection in Troutdale to Cascade Locks. Cyclists traveling this section currently have to ride on the shoulder of I-84 or take a long, circuitous detour.
"The trail improvement is a natural fit with the agency’s long-term, sustainable vision," said Ray Mabey, manager of the OTIA III Bridge Delivery Unit. "Preparing the ground now as part of the Moffett Creek project will reduce the overall construction cost."
The new segment is part of a larger vision, Milepost 2016 Reconnection, which identifies specific improvements that will be required to allow total reconnection of the Historic Columbia River Highway and a continuous picturesque trail for cyclists from the Portland International Airport to The Dalles.
"Combining these two projects will benefit the many people who come here to enjoy the scenic area, both locally and from around the world," said Kristen Stallman, national scenic area coordinator for Region 1. "We are on track to celebrate completion of the entire Milepost 2016 Reconnection project in time for the 100th anniversary of the Historic Columbia River Highway."
When the bridge program replaces the I-84 eastbound Moffett Creek Bridge, it will shift the alignment of the interstate to the south, which will require a retaining wall along the south shoulder of I-84 west of the bridge. This wall will be near the bottom of a moderately steep slope that is the proposed location of a paved, shared-use path connecting Moffett Creek and Warrendale.
Increasing the retaining wall height about three feet will facilitate future construction of a 12-foot flat area above and behind the retaining wall that will accommodate the prospective trail and provide a suitable foundation for its construction.
The completed trail will provide a separate path that is appropriate for cyclists and hikers of all ages and abilities. Other sections of the trail are visited by 262,000 users per year.
Transportation Enhancement funds provide Federal Highway Administration money for projects that strengthen the cultural, aesthetic or environmental value of the transportation system. The funds are available for four main activities specifically identified by Congress: pedestrian and bicycle projects, historic preservation related to surface transportation, landscaping and scenic beautification, and environmental mitigation that treats highway runoff or protects wildlife. The funds are provided through reimbursement, not grants; the bridge program will provide the required matching funds for the trail.
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