• At 6 p.m. on May 6,
Join us on Facebook to watch a commemorative video. We will announce the winners of the art contest before the video screening. You can RSVP to the event now. You don’t need a Facebook account to watch the screening.
Constructed in 1915, the original Mitchell Point Tunnel was part of the old Columbia River Highway with its five arched windows an iconic view.
In 1953, we closed and filled in the tunnel, which had become to small and narrow for modern transportation, and it was destroyed in 1966 with construction of the interstate highway.
In 1986, the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act passed and motivated the Oregon State Legislature to commit to restore the entire Historic Highway to its glory days of the 1920s. An effort is underway to restore all 73 miles from Troutdale to The Dalles. Some segments are accessible to cars and cyclists. Some segments, known as the Historic Highway State Trail, will be accessible only by people walking, rolling or biking.