Beaver State News

The Historic Columbia River Highway, also known as U.S. 30, has temporarily reopened at Larch Mountain Road as of March 24. This reopening follows a closure that began on March 12 due to roadway settling east of the split with Larch Mountain Road.

ODOT spokesperson stated, "After evaluating the recent land movement, we sealed the cracking and placed orange drums for improved visibility, and we were able to reopen the highway Monday. We will continue to monitor the slope daily and keep it open as long as it appears safe for traffic."

Travelers are advised to check TripCheck.com before using this route, as ongoing work in the slide area may necessitate temporary lane or full closures, potentially causing delays. Long-term repairs are planned for this summer when drier conditions prevail, which will require additional closures.

It is important to note that another section of the Historic Highway remains closed just west of Multnomah Falls for structural repair work on the Multnomah Falls Viaduct project. This area is expected to reopen in time for the summer tourist season.

The Larch Mountain landslide covers over 100 acres within the Crown Point State Scenic Corridor. The highway crosses an active section of this landslide near Larch Mountain Road. Historically, this area presented challenges when constructing the highway over a century ago. Originally designed with a viaduct that could not withstand continuous land movement, ODOT replaced it in the 1960s with a new alignment supported by retaining walls built in 1983 and again in 2007.

The site experiences ground movement up to 12 inches annually, necessitating regular repaving and reassessment efforts by ODOT.