Amazing America: 100-years of Highway 101

Описание: As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, KATU is highlighting moments and milestones that shaped the Pacific Northwest.

This week’s “Amazing America” focuses on a defining piece of Oregon infrastructure: U.S. Route 101, better known as the Oregon Coast Highway.

Stretching 363 miles along the Pacific, the highway connects dozens of coastal communities and stands as one of the most scenic drives in the state.

“It’s the most iconic, picturesque highway in Oregon,” said Kerry Tymchuk, executive director of the Oregon Historical Society.

But the road travelers know today was decades in the making.

Before its construction, getting up and down the coast was a challenge. Travel often meant stagecoach or horse-drawn carriage, followed by rudimentary plank or gravel roads.

“That’s how people got up and down the coast in many areas,” Tymchuk said. “Then eventually slowly evolving into rudimentary roads, whether they’d be made from planks or from gravel.”

Legislation authorizing the highway was passed in 1919, and construction began in 1921. This year marks 100 years since the federal government officially designated the roadway as a highway.

Initially proposed as a military highway to move troops efficiently along the coast, the route later evolved into a civilian thoroughfare.

“You can imagine the work that had to be done cutting through timber lands, using dynamite to create tunnels,” Tymchuk said.

One of the most significant challenges was spanning the many rivers and bays that once required ferry crossings. The solution came in the form of a series of bridges, many designed by state bridge engineer Conde McCullough.

“One of the real leaders in the story of Highway 101 was Conde McCullough,” Tymchuk said. “There are 14 McCullough bridges up and down Highway 101.”

Several of those bridges have since become landmarks in their own right, admired for both their engineering and architectural design.

The roadway did not receive its “Coast Highway” designation until 1931, and key sections were not completed until decades later. It was not until the 1960s, when Mark Hatfield was governor, that the final link — the bridge near Astoria — was finished, creating a continuous route along Oregon’s coastline.

The impact on coastal communities was significant. The highway improved access for residents and businesses and opened the region to tourism without the need for ferry crossings.

“It’s a way of life,” Tymchuk said. “It’s a way that has connected visitors to Oregon, but also connected Oregonians together, allowing people to live and work, raise a family along those communities on Highway 101. It’s been a connector for all Oregonians and for all visitors to Oregon.”

To commemorate the milestone, the Oregon Historical Society is opening a new exhibit exploring the history of Highway 101, including its construction, bridges and roadside attractions. The exhibit opens Friday and runs through early October.