Oregon Route 173 is an Oregon state highway running from Timberline Lodge in Clackamas County to U.S. Route 26 near Government Camp. OR 173 is known as the Timberline Highway No. 173 (see Oregon highways and routes).[1] It is 5.37 miles (8.64 km) long and runs in a northeast to southwest "L" pattern, entirely within Clackamas County.[2]
Oregon Route 173 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Route 173 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by ODOT | ||||
| Length | 5.37 mi (8.64 km) | |||
| Existed | 2002–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  US 26 near Government Camp | |||
| North end | Timberline Lodge | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Oregon | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
OR 173 was established in 2002[1] as part of Oregon's project to assign route numbers to highways that previously were not assigned, and, as of September 2010, was unsigned.
Route description edit
OR 173 begins at an intersection with US 26 east of Government Camp. It travels east and north as it ascends the slopes of Mount Hood, passing through several turns. The highway splits into a pair of one-way roads around the parking lot of the Timberline Lodge ski area and ends at the namesake lodge.[2][3][4]
History edit
The Timberline Highway was opened on November 18, 1949, to serve the lodge and ski area alongside the Mt. Hood Aerial Skiway, an aerial bus system.[5][6] It replaced an earlier road to the lodge from the west that was narrower and steeper.[7] The new route was paved a year after it opened and was added to the state highway system by the Oregon Highway Commission on September 28, 1950.[8][9] OR 173 was assigned to the Timberline Highway in 2002.[1]
Major intersections edit
The entire route is in Clackamas County.
| Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | 0.00 | 0.00 | US 26 – Hood River, Madras, Government Camp, Portland | ||
| | 5.37 | 8.64 | Timberline Lodge | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
References edit
- ^ a b c "Description of US and OR Routes" (PDF). Oregon Department of Transportation. May 2005. p. 27. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 2, 2005. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ a b "Straightline Chart: Timberline Highway No. 173" (PDF). Oregon Department of Transportation. March 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ Wilson, Kimberly A.C. (April 1, 2014). "Is Timberline Lodge set to dismantle modern improvements?". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ Google (August 24, 2023). "Oregon Route 173" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ Benjamin, Linsey (January 7, 2020). ""Most Extraordinary of Busses": Documenting the Rise and Fall of the Mt. Hood Aerial Skiway with OHS Collections". Oregon Historical Society. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ "Newest Way to Climb Mount Hood: Aerial Bus Will Whisk Passengers To Timberline". The Oregon Journal. November 27, 1949. p. C12.
- ^ "Workers Race Winter on Timberline Highway". The Oregonian. August 19, 1948. p. 13.
- ^ "Now You Can Whiz Right Up". The Oregon Journal. September 20, 1950. p. 1.
- ^ ODOT Engineering Automation Section (March 2020). "History of State Highways in Oregon" (PDF). Oregon Department of Transportation. p. 173-2. Retrieved August 24, 2023.