The Forgotten Story of Harbor Drive: Portland's Demolished Freeway

Waterfront Park in Portland, Oregon, offers some of the most picturesque views of the city. With more than 36 acres of green space along the Willamette River, downtown wouldn't be the same without them. But this park has a much more unique hi

story

than most people realize. This mile-long strip of land was once the site of the city's first

freeway

. Portland made hi

story

in the 1970s when it

demolished

the

freeway

and replaced it with this sprawling park. The road is almost

forgotten

today, but it played a vital role in the development of the city for decades. So how did they manage to remove it?

What exactly was Harbor Drive? In the early 1930s, Portland's downtown district was bordered by Front Avenue, which ran along the western bank of the Willamette River. The highway dates back to the founding of Portland in the 1850s and now, 80 years later, it was busier than ever. The growing population and the rise of the automobile had overcrowded the city's aging streets. The city center was known for being constantly stagnant. To help with this problem, the city approved a major public works project that would widen Front Avenue and revitalize the surrounding area. In 1935, engineers proposed a second highway parallel to Front Avenue that would run along the riverbank.

This mile-long, six-lane highway would have far fewer intersections and would serve as a high-speed bypass. Front Avenue itself would also be widened to six lanes and many of its intersections would be improved. By July 1941, demolition of the project was underway. In total 11 blocks and 79 historic buildings were razed. The Oregonian described it as "war ruins" and said it looked like a bombing raid. But among the rubble a building remained standing, and it was large. In December 1933, the Portland Public Market Building was introduced as the new home of local farmers markets. The huge building was two and a half blocks long.

It had 100 stores and 300 stalls, with a whopping two miles of sales counter space. In total, the Market Building was not only the largest structure in the city, but also the largest public market in the United States. Unfortunately, hundreds of vendors refused to move into the building and many customers preferred to shop at smaller, more convenient markets. As a result, the building never lived up to its potential. As work along the boardwalk continued into winter, it became clear that the new ring road needed a name. Some construction contracts called it Harbor Drive, so the city adopted this as the official name of the new road.

Just two weeks later, on December 7, 1941, Japanese pilots unleashed a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Virtually overnight, the United States had entered World War II. The American war effort gave new importance to the construction of Harbor Drive. Thousands of workers came to Portland to work in the Kaiser shipyards and other wartime industries. This sudden influx of population congested the city streets more than ever. Unfortunately, the war had cut off all funds and materials for civilian projects. Harbor Drive only had enough funds for part of its construction. Once the money ran out, the city would not be able to continue until the war was over.

On November 20, 1942, the first section of Harbor Drive was officially opened. It separated from Front Avenue at Columbia Street, passing under the Hawthorne Bridge, next to the Market Building, and under the Morrisson Bridge. From here it continued further north until it ended at Vine Street. Between Harbor Drive and Front Avenue was a median about 100 feet wide that would eventually be landscaped with grass. But in the meantime, it would be used as a parking lot. Along the edge of Harbor Drive was a walkway that allowed pedestrians to enjoy views of the river for the first time. Although the project was not completely finished, Portlanders were delighted with the new developments.

As the war progressed, Portland leaders became increasingly concerned about what would happen after the war's end. Thousands of wartime workers would be suddenly unemployed and the city's aging infrastructure would need to be overhauled to serve the growing population. They soon agreed to bring in outside help. To guide the city's vision for the future, Portland leaders hired Robert Moses, New York City's parks commissioner, to make recommendations. Moses brought his team of consultants to Portland in the summer of 1943 and, for the next two months, they studied the city inside and out. During his visit, Robert Moses lived up to his reputation for being "short on public relations and long on rubs." people the wrong way." City Commissioner William Bowes said, "He didn't talk to anyone and no one could reach him to find out what he was doing." "He didn't ask anyone for instructions or advice." "He just did it." his way." Bowes was acting as acting mayor at the time and attempted to get Moses to update him on how the study was going.

In response, Moses told his secretary, "When I go to see the mayor, I'll send for him." November, Moses and his team presented their findings in a report called "Improving Portland." This gave recommendations on how to modernize the city's infrastructure in the coming years. Among other things, Moses made some comments about Harbor Drive. with the city's future plans to beautify the road as much as possible. He also suggested widening the sidewalks and planting lots of grass, trees and flowers along the roadway. However, in the grand scheme of his plans, Harbor Drive is not. It was much more than a footnote.

He popularized the idea of ​​building much larger highways on both sides of the Willamette River. These ideas were ambitious, but they described an exciting future for the city. Two years later, in September 1945, World War II came to an end. The United States had been involved in the war for about three and a half years. And now Portland had to catch up. Work soon resumed on Harbor Drive and Front Avenue in the summer of 1946. At the north end, the roads would receive a new connection to the Steel Bridge. At the south end, Harbor Drive would be widened, merging with Front Avenue near Arthur Street.

Front Avenue would also receive a new interchange with Barbur Boulevard. This was important because Barbur carried U.S. Route 99, which was expected to bring a new wave of traffic in the coming years. Route 99, which ran along the entire west coast, was one of the main roads

drive

rs took through Oregon. For

drive

rs coming to Portland from the south, 99 was split into two routes. 99 West crossed Tigard and entered Barbur Boulevard. 99 East followed the east side of the river to Oregon City and eventually to southeast Portland. However, there were plans afoot to build a shortcut between these two routes, called the Wilsonville Cutoff.

Previously, the only way to cross the river here was via the Boones Ferry, which has been in operation for 100 years. The ferry was slow and many drivers chose to take the long route. But the crux of the project was the construction of a new highway bridge over the Willamette River. Once completed, the route to Portland would be three and a half miles shorter. That's why finishing Front Avenue and Harbor Drive was so important. Within a few years, virtually all of the city's northbound traffic would be funneled directly onto Harbor Drive. But Harbor Drive wasn't expected to solve all the traffic problems on its own.

Downtown streets were packed with streetcars, commercial trucks, and parked vehicles. City Engineer Fred Fowler proposed converting downtown to one-way streets, as this would alleviate many of these problems. The city studied this option over the next few years, and by 1950, they were ready to make the conversion. While many business owners welcomed the change, hundreds of others filed a petition against it. In his report to the city council, Fred Fowler stated, "There are too many things in this city that are being postponed that need to be done." "Let's stand by our judgment and try this." "If it doesn't work, we'll try something else." Fortunately, the transition went smoothly and the benefits to downtown traffic flow were immediately noticeable.

Construction work was underway nearby to complete the north end of Harbor Drive. A complex new interchange was being built at Steel Bridge, which would provide connections to Harbor Drive, Front Avenue, Everett Street, and Glisan Street. All ramps were designed to allow traffic to flow without stopping. In September 1950, the Steel Bridge Interchange opened to traffic. Harbor Drive was eventually built as originally planned before the war. In the summer of 1951, Portlanders enjoyed the convenience of the newly completed Harbor Drive. But despite being designed as a high-speed ring road, traffic periodically became congested. One problem was that the highway had three traffic lights at Clay, Columbia and Jefferson streets.

Fred Fowler suggested that Harbor Drive should eventually become a "true highway" by removing these signs. To allow safe left turns into the city center, engineers planned to replace these intersections with two elevated ramps. The Clay Street ramp would overtake the southbound lanes and end at the intersection of Front and Clay. For Columbia and Jefferson, a spiral ramp would cross the river and overtake the entirety of Harbor Drive. Just down the street, the Market Building had been permanently closed after years of declining popularity and legal problems. After lying abandoned for more than three years, it was purchased by the Oregon Journal.

They completely remodeled it with a newspaper production plant, editorial office and newsroom. However, the building was another major source of traffic on Harbor Drive. Because it was so close to the river's edge, it forced the highway to be reduced to four lanes to fit along it. To solve this. Engineers proposed converting this section into a double-deck viaduct, with three northbound lanes on top and three southbound lanes below. This idea would later be abandoned. But 200 miles to the north, Seattle was building its own waterfront viaduct, and its reach was much greater. The history of the Alaskan Way Viaduct bears a striking resemblance to that of Harbor Drive.

Seattle was having traffic problems downtown, and in the 1930s, plans were afoot to build a freeway around the edge of downtown. The result would be a massive double-decker highway along the city's waterfront. Construction began in 1950, around the same time Harbor Drive was completed. Fred Fowler was inspired by the huge Seattle project. He said, "Alaskan Way is very similar to a project we are planning for Front Avenue..." "a future elevated highway to the north." He was referring to an idea that was originally proposed during the war years. This required Harbor Drive to be extended north as an elevated highway.

It would pass over railroad yards and industrial areas, leading to a massive new river crossing called the Fremont Bridge. There were no immediate plans to move forward with these projects. But Fowler felt that if the Alaskan Way Viaduct could be built, surely the future phase of Harbor Drive could also become a reality. Meanwhile, Oregon's highway network was slowly taking shape. Wilsonville's boundary had expanded into a longer route that would soon extend from Salem to Portland. Barbur Boulevard was now considered inadequate to handle traffic, so a new route would be built to bring the freeway directly to the center of town.

When completed, you will turn right onto Harbor Drive. On the east side of town, engineers had their eyes on a windy ravine called Sullivan's Gulch. It soon became the site of another new route, called the Banfield Freeway, which opened in the fall of 1955. This modern highway was designed with limited access points and no traffic lights. For this reason, Banfield was considered Oregon's first true highway, even though Harbor Drive had preceded it by more than a decade. But the best news was yet to come. In June 1956, President Eisenhower signed a new bill called the Federal Aid Highway Act.

This would allow a new network of interstate highways to be built across the country, with the federal government paying 90% of the cost. This landmark legislation was a game-changer and meant Oregon could undertake much larger highway projects in the coming years. In 1957, the new Harbor Drive ramps were completed. The Clay Street ramp opened in April and the passageelevated for Columbia and Jefferson opened a few months later in August. Once these projects were completed, the last remaining traffic lights were removed from the route. Harbor Drive could now be considered a true highway. With federal funds now available, detailed plans were being drawn up for the massive new highway loop on both sides of the Willamette River near the southern end of Harbor Drive, which would be a new river crossing called the Marquam Bridge.

From here two new highways would be built. Crossing the river would be the Eastbank Freeway, which runs along the east coast. Around the west side would be the Stadium Freeway, which would circle downtown and eventually cross the proposed long Fremont Bridge. But with these ambitious projects in the near future, the writing was on the wall for Harbor Drive. Once the new circuit was built around it, would it still be necessary? Engineers had assumed Harbor Drive would also be part of the new interstate system. But they soon discovered it did not meet federal standards. The highway was still essential to the city's infrastructure, but expanding it further would be difficult without federal support.

Meanwhile, although the highway no longer had traffic lights, there were still some turn lanes where drivers could enter the city center. The most egregious of these was the unprotected left turn onto Oak Street. Northbound drivers had to cross a total of nine lanes of traffic coming from both directions. Unsurprisingly, this led to numerous collisions and fatal accidents. To solve this problem, the city announced that it would build another overpass at this location, landing at the intersection of Ash Street and 1st Avenue. While this would be much safer for drivers. It would also destroy historic buildings in the Skidmore Fountain area.

The ramp would also block the last unobstructed view of the boardwalk. Soon, the project was met with a wave of protests from local groups. This was the first time in 20 years that Harbor Drive experienced significant setback. But times were changing. As interstate megaprojects popped up in the city, Portlanders were beginning to realize how much destruction they caused. City Commissioner William Bowes had no interest in preserving the boardwalk. He maintained that "the thousands of motorists who use Harbor Drive are too busy with traffic to watch the sailboats pass by on the river." Local architect John Storrs felt that the city was focusing too much on automobiles.

He said: "The riverbank is disappearing rapidly." "Frankly, I'm surprised one of our technicians hasn't come up with a plan to freeze the Willamette River so we can park cars in it." In August 1961, it became clear that the ramp was too controversial to go forward and it was shelved indefinitely. Just a few months later, in November, the final section of the south end highway was completed. Portland, Salem, and Eugene were now linked by a continuous highway that ran for 110 miles. The route was the first segment of Oregon's Interstate 5. Not only was it a source of local pride, but it was the longest continuous stretch of the country's interstate system at the time.

As planned, I-5 was built to lead directly to Harbor Drive. Traveling to and from downtown was now a seamless experience. Even if Harbor Drive wasn't interstate material, it was still one of Oregon's busiest and most beloved highways. A couple of months later, in early 1962, the city was finalizing its plans for the Stadium Freeway on the west side. But the route was suffering immense rejection from the locals. Many thought the project was unnecessary, as Harbor Drive would already create a smaller loop with upcoming I-5 developments. But Stadium Freeway had already secured millions of federal dollars, including funds to build the Fremont Bridge.

Supporters didn't want to turn down what was essentially free money. Local real estate investor Harold Schnitzer was dismayed by this. He said: "Saying we should have a $70 million freeway system that cuts our city in half, so we can also have a $5 million Fremont Bridge, is like buying pretzels to stick the toy in the bottom." ". He and many others supported the old idea of ​​Harbor Drive running to the Fremont Bridge. Unlike the Stadium Freeway, this option would be much less destructive and much cheaper to build. But many people feared the elevated highway would be an eyesore along the city's waterfront.

A similar project had recently become a cautionary tale, and Portlanders weren't interested in repeating that mistake. 500 miles to the south, San Francisco had seen its own explosion of freeway projects after World War II. Among them was a proposed route that would run along the boardwalk between the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge. The easternmost section of this project was called the Embarcadero Freeway. Construction began in 1953, but the project was highly controversial from the beginning. The massive concrete structure blocked panoramic views of San Francisco Bay, as well as the historic World Trade Ferry building. The first segment of the Embarcadero Freeway opened in 1959, after protests effectively halted any further progress.

Some of the area's most beautiful views were now blocked by the concrete monstrosity. Back in Portland, opponents of the Harbor Drive extension feared it would become another Embarcadero expressway. In contrast, the Stadium Freeway was considered less of an eyesore, since it would be sunk underground. The city council finally approved construction of the Stadium Freeway, ending any last hope of widening Harbor Drive. Amid the rise of concrete structures and automobile fumes, engineers paid little attention to their impact on the environment. But soon, a voice would be lent to Oregon's environmental issues, and it would be a voice he wouldn't soon forget.

On November 21, 1962, KGW aired a documentary called "Pollution in Paradise." The film was produced and rated by news anchor Tom, who had gained local popularity for his commanding voice and journalistic integrity. McCall had spent the last year researching Oregon's polluted air and waterways, culminating in an hour-long exposé that revealed just how serious the situation was. "Improper practices in irrigating and fertilizing farmland," and in logging, road construction and mining, "add much more to the warming and fouling of Oregon's rivers." Test networks in Willamette show that only carp "and other warm-water trash fish can survive." In the Portland area, the layout of the terrain causes 50 to 60 days each year "of that peculiarity of the atmosphere that fosters smog." called inversion "This is more common than anywhere else in the world.

West Coast outside Los Angeles." The film was ahead of its time and brought attention to the shocking lack of accountability that was choking Oregon's natural resources. The award-winning documentary helped elevate Tom McCall's popularity in the 1990s. As Oregonians began to understand the environmental challenges around them, construction continued at a feverish pace. Segments of the new interstates gradually opened over the next few years when the Marquam Bridge finally opened in October 1966. , marked the final section of Interstate 5 to be completed in Oregon. 308 miles of highway were built, making Oregon the first West Coast state to complete all of I-5.

Oregon's gubernatorial election was held in 1966. The winner was a familiar face and voice: Tom McCall. In recent years, he had moved from journalism to politics, and his popularity helped him land the governorship. 30 Oregon. In the years that followed, he would fulfill his promise to bring positive environmental change to the state he loved. Tom McCall wasted no time in his efforts to preserve the beauty of Oregon. The following spring, he campaigned hard for the Oregon Beach Bill, a law that would make the entire Oregon coast open to the public permanently. Overwhelming public support helped the bill pass in June 1967. "This bill ensures that the Oregon Coast will remain safe for generations to come." "And by doing so, Oregon will be able to meet its growing recreation needs in the future." And the Beach Bill was just the beginning.

The following year, he would shift his focus toward beautifying Portland's waterfront. The first step was to get rid of the old Journal building. By then, the Oregon Journal had abandoned the building, leaving it abandoned for the second time in its history. The city bought the building back from the Journal in 1968, with plans to demolish it in the near future. Freeing up the space would allow the boardwalk to be redeveloped into an accessible and scenic park. In February 1969, Tom McCall formed a nine-person working group to head the new project. The head of the task force was Glenn Jackson, one of the most influential highway engineers in state history.

The options proposed by the task force evolved several times, but can be simplified as follows: One option would be to push Harbor Drive as close to Front Avenue as possible, requiring up to 14 lanes of traffic in total. This would leave only a strip of land about 80 feet wide to build the park on. Another option would be to destroy Front Avenue entirely and rebuild Harbor Drive in its place. The road would be depressed 14 feet underground, and several pedestrian bridges would cross it to access the new park. A third option would push Harbor Drive completely underground in a 3,000-foot-long tunnel.

The new park would be developed on top of it, allowing it to be more than 230 feet wide. The fourth option was the simplest and perhaps the most radical. Harbor Drive could be removed entirely. Highway engineers, including Glenn Jackson himself, said the idea was "off the table" and that abandoning Harbor Drive would be "impossible." It was true that no city had ever intentionally removed one of its highways before. But despite resistance, McCall pressured the task force to consider the option. "Some highway engineers have a mentality, speaking in engineering terms, "that they would build an eight-lane highway through the Taj Mahal. "That's our problem." Meanwhile, the general public wanted to have a decisive say in how the waterfront would be developed.

In response, McCall ordered the task force to form a new citizens advisory committee. This group of 18 people would help ensure that the public's views were taken into account. The two groups spent the next few months studying options and gathering feedback. And finally they reached an agreement. Harbor Drive would be eliminated once the Fremont Bridge was completed and the interstate loop was completed. A defeated Glenn Jackson said: "We finally decided on elimination because it would be impossible to maintain it and satisfy everyone." Other members of the task force, including Rep. John Mosser, had seen promise in the idea from the beginning and helped advocate for the removal of Harbor Drive. "But really, the thing was, I kept saying, 'Where are these cars going?' "Why do we have to have 14 lanes on the boardwalk?

Where do the cars go?" "Everyone was trying to get from the west side to the east side, just looking for another bridge." "And so the conclusion was that when the Fremont Bridge was completed, 'there would be enough cars moving through downtown Portland that there was no need to have it.'" Portlanders praised the plan and were excited about the sweeping new changes that would soon be coming. It would still be more than three years before the Fremont Bridge was completed, but the city was finally taking its first steps into a new era. November 11, 1973 was designated as People's Day, where people were invited. pedestrians to explore the Fremont Bridge before its opening.

Thousands of people braved the rainy and windy weather for a unique opportunity to cross the new bridge. Some rushed to claim the title as the first to cross it on roller skates, tricycles and even. Unicycles. On January 15, the Fremont Bridge was officially dedicated. The Oregonian described the event, accurately, as "the death knell of Harbor Drive." In fact, after serving the city for 31 years, Harbor Drive was closed. permanently on May 24, 1974. Highway engineers. They were convinced that the closure would cause a traffic armageddon in the city. But this never materialized. The new highway loop absorbed most of the traffic without problems.

And some downtown commuters switched to public transportation. HePortland's brave experiment had paid off. Harbor Drive was

demolished

that same fall. The first phase of the redevelopment would be to beautify Front Avenue by turning it into a tree-lined boulevard. Landscaping of the park would begin in the summer of 1977. Plans included a new plaza to house the Portland Saturday Market and an extension of the Skidmore Fountain gallery to the

harbor

wall. Some other concepts for the park never came to fruition. For example, early plans called for a shallow lagoon at the former site of the Journal Building. But people wanted as much green space as possible, so the idea was eventually abandoned.

Finally, on July 23, 1978, the 36 and a half-acre Waterfront Park opened. For the first time in Portland's history, the boardwalk was officially returned to its people. Tom McCall had reached the end of his term as governor during the development of the park, but his influence on the project was undeniable. After leaving office in 1975, McCall returned to television journalism. Even in the last months of his life, after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, he continued to fight tirelessly for environmental causes. He passed away in January 1983. The following year, the park was renamed Tom McCall Waterfront Park, in honor of the man who sought to preserve the beauty of Oregon for generations to come.

Now that Harbor Drive is a faint echo of the city's past, not many vestiges of it remain today. But as you take a tour of the boardwalk, there are a few details worth mentioning. The interchange with Steel Bridge was completely renovated with the removal of Harbor Drive. The only piece remaining from the original version is the Everett Street ramp leading to the bridge. This actually has a well-hidden piece of ramp that used to connect to Front Avenue as well. During reconstruction, this ramp was cut and abandoned. Near Oak and Pine streets is the mast of the historic Battleship Oregon.

This monument originally stood at the intersection of Clay Street and Harbor Drive. But when the two new overpass ramps were built at this location, the monument was moved to the median between Harbor Drive and Front Avenue. It is still in the same place today. Near Salmon Street is the historic Visitor Information Centre. This opened in 1948 right next to the Market Building and for several years served as a visitor center between Harbor Drive and Front Avenue. Today it serves as the home of the Portland Rose Festival. At the Hawthorne Bridge, you can take a walkway that will take you to the park.

This was originally the exit ramp that spiraled down toward Front Avenue and Harbor Drive. Today only a part of this ramp remains, partially used as a walkway and partially abandoned. Technically, the southernmost part of Harbor Drive still exists. As you travel north on I-5 toward the city, the leftmost exit will take you to the city center and the south boardwalk. This is where I-5 originally ended and became Harbor Drive. The road is still labeled Harbor Drive for about a third of a mile before ending at Clay and Market streets. Front Avenue was renamed Naito Parkway in the mid-1990s.

When the park was first developed, the six-lane road was graded to make the area safer for pedestrians. Improvements still continue today: part of the road has been converted to bike lanes and new and improved sidewalks and crosswalks are being built. Actually, one more vestige of Harbor Drive can be found on the opposite side of the river. This flyover ramp from I-5 to I-84 used to have a connection from the Steel Bridge, allowing traffic to flow from Harbor Drive. The connector was eventually removed in the late 1980s, but there is still a piece of ramp where this connection once was.

In recent decades, other cities around the world have followed Portland's lead and eliminated their own freeways. In 1991, San Francisco demolished the Embarcadero Freeway. The coastal area was rebuilt as a beautiful boulevard lined with palm trees. In 2019, Seattle demolished the Alaskan Way Viaduct. In this case, it was replaced by a road tunnel that now passes under the city center. However, cases like these are still quite rare. Most cities are still struggling with the unpleasant reality of their urban highways. But more and more local groups propose eliminating their highways and recovering the natural beauty of their cities. Many people dismiss these types of ideas as impossible.

But if Harbor Drive can teach us anything, it's that impossible things have been done before.