Harbor Drive

Harbor Drive
Cherry blossoms blooming in Tom McCall Waterfront Park, created with the removal of the road in 1978
Cherry blossoms blooming in Tom McCall Waterfront Park, created with the removal of the road in 1978
Former name(s)Front Avenue
Maintained byPBOT
Length0.7 mi (1.1 km)[1]
LocationPortland, Oregon
South end I-5 in RiverPlace
North end US 26 / Naito Parkway in Downtown
EastHarbor Drive
WestNaito Parkway
Construction
Completion1943 (1943)[2]

Harbor Drive is a short roadway in Portland, Oregon, spanning a total length of 0.7 miles (1.1 km), which primarily functions as a ramp to and from Interstate 5. It was once much longer, running along the western edge of the Willamette River in the downtown area. Originally constructed from 1942–43, the vast majority of the road was replaced with Tom McCall Waterfront Park in the 1970s.[3] Signed as U.S. Route 99W, it had been the major route through the city and its removal is often cited as the first instance of freeway removal in the U.S. and as a milestone in urban planning; the original road is remembered as the first limited-access highway built in the city.[4]

  1. ^ "Harbor Drive" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference MacColl-Growth was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Removing Freeways - Restoring Cities". www.preservenet.com. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
  4. ^ "Portland Harbor Drive". Reclaiming Old West Broad Street. 2014-09-08. Retrieved 2022-12-07.