U.S. Route 26

United States Highway 26 is an east-west United States highway. It started in Ogallala, Nebraska, and gradually grew to reach the West Coast in Oregon. When the U.S. highway system was first defined, it was limited to Nebraska and Wyoming; by the 1950s, it continued into Idaho and Oregon.

Much of the highway follows the path of the historic Oregon Trail. At its peak, immediately before the establishment of the interstate highway system, US 26 was 1,557 miles (2506 km) in length, and terminated in Astoria, Oregon.

Termini

As of 2004, the highway's eastern terminus is in Ogallala, Nebraska at an intersection with Interstate 80. Its western terminus is south of Seaside, Oregon at an intersection with U.S. Route 101. Prior to 2004, the route's last 20 miles (32 km) were co-signed with U.S. Route 101 from the highways' junction south of Seaside north to Astoria where its intersection with U.S. Highway 30 was also U.S. 30's western terminus.Endpoints of US highways

States traversed

The highway passes through the following states:

Nebraska

The eastern terminus of US 26 is in Ogallala, Nebraska at Interstate 80. From there, it runs northwestward parallel to the North Platte River and intersects with U.S. Highway 385 in Bridgeport. The largest city US 26 runs through in Nebraska is Scottsbluff, which is just 22 miles (35 km) from the Wyoming border. All told, there are 145 miles (233 km) of US 26 in the state of Nebraska.

Wyoming

Heading westward, the first city in Wyoming US 26 runs through is Torrington. About 50 miles (80 km) further west, US 26 joins Interstate 25 and remains co-signed with it until reaching Casper. From Casper to Shoshoni US 26 is co-signed with U.S. Highway 20. After that, US 26 comes close to Yellowstone National Park before curving southwestward and eventually entering Idaho.

Idaho

From Alpine, Wyoming, the road proceeds to Idaho Falls and joins Interstate 15. It departs at Blackfoot for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, then skirts the north edge of Craters of the Moon National Monument before joining Interstate 84 in Bliss. It joins further with U.S. Highway 20 at Mountain Home and remains with Highway 20 into Oregon.

Oregon

The segment, starting at its intersection with Oregon Highway 35 near Government Camp and continuing westward to Sandy, which closely follows the route of the Barlow Road, has served to define was is sometimes called the Mt. Hood Corridor. This part of US 26 is part of the Mt. Hood Scenic Byway.

Its westernmost segment, in Oregon between Portland and the coast, is known as the Sunset Highway. While many people may think it received its name because it stretches towards the sunset from Portland, it was officially named January 17, 1946 for the US 41st Infantry Division of the United States Army, also known as the "Sunset Division." Some local historians think that it was more than a coincidence that a logging complex in western Washington County, near the route of US 26, was called Sunset Camp many years before the highway was built.

Portland area

US 26 is a freeway in the western parts of Portland (the Sunset Highway). Downtown, after the Sunset Highway ends, it briefly shares an alignment with Interstate 405, and then runs on Arthur Street, which connects it to the Ross Island Bridge, via which US 26 passes over the Willamette River. (Prior to 2005, US 26 ran through downtown Portland on the Market Street/Clay Street couplet, and then connected to the bridge via Naito Parkway, formerly known as Front Avenue.)

In the eastern half of the city, US 26 is a surface street (Powell Boulevard). Between Gresham and Sandy, US 26 is a divided 4-lane expressway. This is all part of the Mt. Hood Highway (Highway 26).

There were plans to construct a freeway alignment of US 26 through eastern Portland—the so-called Mt. Hood Freeway; however this project was cancelled as a result of the freeway revolts in the 1970s. A few ghost ramps from Interstate 5 (on the Marquam Bridge) stand as evidence of this project. Roadway connections between the Portland freeway network and Mt. Hood remain a big problem; as there is no good direct highway connection. The proposed Sunrise Corridor may eventually offer a long-term solution; however construction of this route is several years off.

Related US routes

U.S. Highway 126

References

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