"In 1910, the Multnomah County surveyor suggested that a road from the 'summit' to Latourell was not practical. Lancaster, assessing the situation at Crown Point, came up with a solution that involved building concrete piers along the cliff to support the highway. He placed concrete light posts every twenty feet along the protective railing on the outer edge of the viaduct that circles Crown Point, which, when lighted, does indeed provide Thor's Heights with a 'crown.'"

Robert W. Hadlow, Columbia River Highway Historic District, National Historic Landmark Nomination

CS4. Structure: Crown Point Viaduct, No. 4524 HAER No. OR-36-C

Location: HMP 23.9

Date: 1914

Designer: K. P. Billner, Oregon State Highway Dept.

Builder: Pacific Bridge Company, Portland

Owner: Oregon Department of Transportation

This 560-foot spiral viaduct was constructed of reinforced concrete and runs for 225 degrees of a circle around Crown Point. It functions as a 7-foot-wide sidewalk and curb with a 4-foot-high parapet wall on the outside of a 24-foot roadway cut into the rock formation. A dry masonry retaining wall stabilizes the hillside above and below the viaduct and masonry parapet walls that ring Vista House (see under “Buildings”), the sandstone public comfort station completed on top of Crown Point in 1918.

"The viaduct and roadway, which curve around the northern tip of Crown Point, were completed in 1914. It was the first structure build under the supervision of Sam Lancaster in Multnomah County. The 560 foot long viaduct is made of reinforced concrete and wraps around the crest of Crown Point."

BridgeHunter.com: Crown Point Viaduct

Overview Bridge over Crown Point on Historical Columbia River Highway

Location Multnomah County, Oregon

Status Open to traffic

History Built 1914

Builders

- Karl P. Billner (Design Engineer)

- Pacific Bridge Co. of Portland, Oregon (Prime Contractor)

- Robert Lee Ringer (Sub-Contractor)

- Samuel Lancaster (Highway Engineer)

Design

A half-viaduct designed to carry pedestrians around the outer edge of a spiral section of roadway around the top of a 725' promontory on the Historic Columbia River Highway. Ingenious use of reinforced-concrete and rubble masonry to create an aesthetically pleasing structure.

(HAER ORE,26-TROUT.V,1C)

Dimensions

Length of largest span: 20.0 ft.

Total length: 560.1 ft.

Deck width: 28.9 ft.

Recognition

Posted to the National Register of Historic Places

Inventory numbers

OR 04524 (Oregon Dept. of Transportation structure number)

BH 42385 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Photo Currently Unavailable

Links

CLICK HERE to continue exploring the highway