Jason,

	Hi. I've done some research on your questions about the Mt. Hood Freeway. I have a copy of the I-80N Draft Environmental Impact Statement adopted 12-14-1973. It is the source of the information provided here. I have requested additional documents from the State Library to see if I can find out more about the Mt. Hood extension. 

	If you would like to come down to our office and review the documents, give me a call and we can arrange that. I only have the one. I don't know how soon I will receive the documents I've requested or how helpful they will be.

	Here's what I've found so far:

* How long had the freeway been in the plans for Portland's freeway constructions? When was the highway planned and when did discussion begin?

	According to the I-80N Draft Environmental Impact Statement, the 1955 a report titled Freeway and Expressway System, Portland Metropolitan Area, by the Oregon State Highway Department was the first report to include a Mt. Hood freeway to serve a directional desire line which ran from the downtown area southeasterly along the general line of Foster Rd.

* How long was the proposed freeway (both the original segment from the Marquam Bridge to I-205 and the "Mt. Hood Extension" to the Sandy-area), and what was the eventual end to the proposed freeway?

	According to the I-80N DEIS. . ."the portion of the corridor between the Marquam Bridge and its intersection with Interstate 205, at approximately 96th Avenue, has been designated Interstate Route 80N. This section extends 5.3 miles. In addition, the project includes 2.2 miles leading from the I-205 / I-80N intersection easterly to 122nd Avenue. This section is designated as a Primary Route (FAP 24) and is commonly referred to as the Mt. Hood Freeway."

	"the approved corridor: extends southeasterly from the Marquam Bridge along the Southern Pacific Railroad line until it reaches 12th Avenue. From 12th Avenue the corridor proceeds easterly between Division and Clinton Streets to SE 45th Avenue. At SE 45th Avenue the corridor moves southeasterly to the south side of SE Powell Boulevard which it parallels through the I-205, terminating at 122nd Avenue."

	More about the length of the Mt. Hood extension below:

* What was the routing of the Mt. Hood Extension, and what were the interchanges proposed for the entire freeway?

	All I've been able to find so regarding the Mt Hood Extension is this, also from the I-80 DEIS:

	Although the Mt. Hood Expressway (extending 7½ miles eastward from 122nd to Route 26, southeast of Gresham) could be built whether or not an I-80N Freeway is built, the following assumptions were made [in order to evaluate the alternatives. The EIS documents the process of alternatives development and analysis.]

		-If the I-80N freeway option were chosen, then the Mt. Hood extension would also be built;

		-If any of the I-80N non-freeway options were chosen, then the Mt. Hood extension would not be built. Furthermore, if an express transit option were built, it would extend to the vicinity of Gresham.

	I've scanned and attached a map from the aforementioned document of the proposed alignment. Unfortunately there is no legend with the map that describes the different symbols used for the different sections.

* According to the City of Portland Office of Transportation (http://www.trans.ci.portland.or.us/), the freeway was dropped from the Interstate highway system in 1976. Was the highway originally planned to be an Interstate highway, either for immediate or future inclusion? If so, was it given a route number (e.g. Interstate 705)?

	The I-80N designation of the Mt. Hood Freeway was approved by the Federal Highway Administration on January 22, 1969. The approved route began at the intersection with I-5 at the east end of the Marquam Bridge and progressed in an easterly direction to an intersection with I-205 near 96th. The 5.79 miles of the Banfield from the Marquam to 96th were withdrawn from the Interstate system and placed on the state system.

* Was the freeway given an ODOT highway number (e.g. Mount Hood Highway #26)?

	Answered above

* What was the estimated cost and length of construction time that the freeway would've cost, and what was the estimated start and end of construction of the freeway?

	I think I can ferret out this information from the document. I want to make sure I understand the information before sending it on. Stand by. Or give me a call and come down and take a look at the document. I think you'll find it very interesting. You could probably answer your questions better than I have.

 

* I completely understand if ODOT is unable to answer any or all of these questions. If ODOT cannot answer these questions, whom should I contact or where should I look to research this matter further?

	Oregon State Library
	250 Winter St NE
	Salem OR 97301-3950

	Phone: (503) 378-4243 x221
	FAX:(503) 588-7119
	http://www.osl.state.or.us/home/

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Oregon Department of Transportation