Is there ever going to be a 2 lane highway all the way from Portland to Central Oregon (ex: making Hwy 26 one)? (Eugene: 2013, how much)

[beenhereandthere]

Again, all the way, not in spots. I would guess unless the population of the Bend area doubles, it's very unlikely which is a shame. Hwy 26 from just before Goverment Camp to Warm Springs, while scenic, is just down right dangerous. Especially for truckers and for all during the winter. I know some people just drive around through The Dalles and then over, on Hwy 97A, which is still somewhat hairy, but not nearly as bad, but that adds at least 1 hour. Is it there's just not enough money, that it would take too long, maybe 5-10 years to complete, or that the landscape, like just before Government Camp itself, is just too prohibitive to expand another lane in each direction? It really makes the Bend area truly isolated, while it's counter parts in WA, (like Yakima, Moses Lake and Wenatchee) aren't nearly as cut off.
Thoughts?

[Silverfall]

You have to cross the Cascades to go from Portland to Bend. Mountainous areas aren't known for being cheap and easy to build roads upon.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Not until the Columbia washes Portland out to sea. Until then all highway and transportation dollars will go to Portland and Central Oregon will be lucky to get scraps.

It would give a huge boost to the economy of Central and Eastern Oregon to have some better roads and a better electrical grid.

[PNW-type-gal]

Part of it was supposed to be built as the Mt Hood Freeway, of which bits and pieces were constructed.

Mount Hood Freeway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[beenhereandthere]

Originally Posted by Silverfall

You have to cross the Cascades to go from Portland to Bend. Mountainous areas aren't known for being cheap and easy to build roads upon.

I have said to myself that it seems impossible to build another lane on that Eastbound approach up to Goverment Camp, from Portland, due to this reason. Very steep drop off on the side.

[Billy_J]

Originally Posted by Silverfall

You have to cross the Cascades to go from Portland to Bend. Mountainous areas aren't known for being cheap and easy to build roads upon.

Yes... Mother nature is putting up quite a bit of difficulty with the Hwy 20 to coast road improvements...

ODOT approves new plan for straightening U.S. 20 near Eddyville | OregonLive.com

[wanderbygrace]

Originally Posted by Silverfall

You have to cross the Cascades to go from Portland to Bend. Mountainous areas aren't known for being cheap and easy to build roads upon.

I would agree. It might be fairly feasible across the high desert areas, but through the ups & downs of the Mt. Hood area, that would be immensely expensive. And if you tried to remove the curves nearer in to Mt. Hood, I could only imagine how ludicrously expensive it would get, as you'd have to put in a large quantity of hyper-pricey bridges & tunnels through an area that is seismically active.

[beenhereandthere]

I know how much a certain political party can't stand Amtrak as it is (for Government help), so this is almost as unlikely, but even a train from Redmond/Bend to Portland would help both cities out. There really isn't any. You have to go 1 hour South, which takes you out of the way and then go North if you want to take Amtrak

[Squidlo]

Originally Posted by beenhereandthere

I know how much a certain political party can't stand Amtrak as it is (for Government help), so this is almost as unlikely, but even a train from Redmond/Bend to Portland would help both cities out. There really isn't any. You have to go 1 hour South, which takes you out of the way and then go North if you want to take Amtrak

Amtrak and it needing government help go hand in hand. Passenger rail is cost prohibitive. Unless you can figure out a way to get to a break even on cost I doubt anyone would even consider it.

I am a bit of a rail fan. I would love to see more trains. The reality is rail transport is expensive and freight pays the bills. Passengers do not generate steady positive revenue. Most private rail companies could not wait to dump their passenger lines and focus on the more profitable freight lines. (Amtrak)

I think money for rail falls pretty low on the list as Oregon sorts out how to pay for all the other entitlement programs.

[redguard57]

It already is 4 lanes in the important parts - about 1/2 of the way to Government Camp, then for a section right around Government Camp.

There would be no easy way - not even a moderately difficult way - to put a full size interstate or something like that across Winpinitia or Blue Box passes.

It would be easy enough through Warm Springs but the traffic through there does not demand it. I think the route from Madras to Bend and from Madras to Warm Springs should be looked at for expansion. Particularly the Madras to Bend leg - I've been very frustrated in that area by slow drivers.

The reality is rail transport is expensive and freight pays the bills. Passengers do not generate steady positive revenue. Most private rail companies could not wait to dump their passenger lines and focus on the more profitable freight lines.

In reality most airports are lucky to break even. Only the big guys, ie: LAX, ORD, etc... really make money. For those of us in Oregon - and I'd bet $100 even PDX struggles to turn profit - all the airports would die without the local tax subsidy, they do not nearly pay for themselves. Certainly not in places like Medford, Eugene, Bend/Redmond, etc... They wouldn't even have had the money for most of those airstrips had they not been built during the New Deal and for WWII with federal money. Where they make money is from concessions and parking. Without sufficient scale on those things they lose money.