Main Page

Welcome to Beaver State Roads!

My name is Jonathan. Simply put, Beaver State Roads aims to be your one-stop shop for information on Oregon state routes, highways, and other important roads. It was borne out of an earlier project, ORoads, which was originally hosted on Angelfire starting around 2002 under my pseudonym Jason of ORoads. Unfortunately, ORoads became all but abandonned in the late 2000s-early 2010s due to life and other things, and during that time both the site design and the information within grew stale. Beaver State Roads strives to correct the outdated information plus add in the wealth of additional knowledge obtained over the past 20 years, presenting route and highway history and data as accurate as possible.

📄 Pages

While I'll be adding more pages to the site in the future, here's what's available now:

• Pages on Oregon state routes:
  • Oregon Route 2 🚧, what is now US-26 from Cannon Beach Junction to Portland
  • Oregon Route 37, created in 1972
  • Oregon Route 42N, rediscovered thanks to a 2016 AARoads post
  • Oregon Route 64 — yes, you read that right — an extremely short-lived state route which became a westward extension of Oregon Route 140
  • Oregon Route 127, applied to Cornelius Pass Road between Burlington and Hillsboro in 2020
  • Oregon Route 132, applied to the Delta Highway within Eugene in 2019
  • The second (and current) iteration of Oregon Route 224 🚧, created c.1961
  • The first iteration of Oregon Route 231 from Oswego to Wilsonville, which may have only existed on paper around 1934
  • US Route 320, proposed to — and soundly rejected by — AASHO in 1958, rediscovered thanks to a 2005 misc.transport.road post
  • US Route 730 🚧, currently both America's highest-numbered and shortest-length US route, defined in 1926
• Articles on mileposting and related signage:
  • Mileposts
    • A list of surviving concrete mileposts originally erected starting in 1924
  • Bridge and Culvert Inventory Markers
  • The "Mile 69 Problem"
• A page of common abbreviations used on the site

Future articles will revolve around Oregon Route 6 and Oregon's mileposting system as a whole.

❓ How to Help

At present, writing these articles is a solo effort. Once I get some good information on here in the near future, the goal is to recruit additional Oregon roadgeeks as contributors. The decision to present this site in a wiki format was made with collaboration and education in mind. I don't have all the answers, and want to give people who may have those answers a platform on which to reveal them. Once I figure out some basic guidelines, I will extend offers as necessary.

However, there are other ways to help:

• What I prize above all is information. This includes (but isn't limited to) any documents, photos, maps, articles, meeting minutes, or other miscellany that may shed new light on Oregon's highways or provide a glimpse into the past, present or future. If you have anything about Oregon's highways that I can use on this site — especially historic or unique photos — please feel free to send it to beaverstateroads AT gmail DOT com. You will be given credit on the about page once I write it.
• That said, I will eventually figure out how to set up accounts for people to donate to assist the site. This is necessary because unfortunately, a lot of good information, including high-quality photos, are locked away behind expensive fees to retrieve and scan the data. For example, the Oregon Secretary of State's office demands $20 per high-quality scan of photos, and research time in the Multnomah County archives can add up quickly. Any future financial assistance I receive would be much appreciated, and I would make an effort to document where and how the money I receive is used.
• I may also need some assistance making this site mobile-friendly in the near future.

Creating the most complete history of Oregon state highways is a herculean effort, but with your help it doesn't have to be. Thank you in advance!

📰 Recent Oregon Highway News

💥🚧 ODOT: Rebuilding Hwy 229 after Landslide near Siletz May Take Years

(1/9/2026 — KPTV Fox 12 Oregon — Portland)

It may take years to fully repair a coastal highway that was damaged by a landslide last month, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation. Highway 229 has been closed between milepost 14 and 15, from Kernville to Siletz, after a massive landslide on Dec. 12, 2025.

💥🚧 Landslide Decimates Highway 6; Washington County Declares State of Emergency

(1/9/2026 — Hillsboro News Times — Hillsboro)

Washington County leaders declared a state of emergency Tuesday, Jan. 6, following a landslide last month that severely damaged Oregon Highway 6. The highway, which connects the area near Banks with the Oregon Coast, has been reduced to a single lane for roughly 11 miles within Washington County — rendering transportation challenges for residents, businesses and emergency services.

😡🔨 Interstate Bridge Replacement Price Tag Hits $13.6 Billion in Draft Cost Estimate Document

(1/8/2026 — KGW NBC 8 — Portland)

The price tag for the Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) project has risen to a staggering $13.6 billion, according to a set of preliminary cost estimate documents dated August 2025 but never publicly released by the project team. It's a 126% increase over the most recent official estimate of $6 billion, published back in January 2023.

💥 Icy Roads Lead to Crashes, School Delays in NW Oregon

(1/8/2026 — KOIN CBS 6 — Portland)

Icy roads around Northwest Oregon have led to several crashes Thursday morning, as well as several schools delaying their starts. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Forest Grove Fire have both warned drivers about the icy roads, with several crashes already piling up in the area.

💰🔨 I-5 Lanes to Close Overnight near Battle Creek Road in South Salem

(1/8/2026 — Salem Statesman Journal — Salem)

Interstate 5 will be down to one lane in each direction overnight on Jan. 8 near Battle Creek Road. The closures will be in effect from 9 p.m. Jan. 8 to 5 a.m. Jan. 9, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.

🔨 Interstate Bridge Staff Hid Information About Ballooning Cost of Giant Highway Project

(1/7/2026 — Willamette Week — Portland)

At a Dec. 15 public hearing on the Interstate Bridge Replacement project, government employees who have been working for years to replace the I-5 bridge over the Columbia River told a bistate committee of lawmakers they did not have new cost estimates for the project.

💥🚧 ‘Serious Disarray’: Washington County Declares Emergency Due to Highway 6 Damage

(1/7/2026 — KOIN CBS 6 — Portland)

Washington County has declared an emergency after a severe storm wiped out a portion of Highway 6. The Board of Commissioners has unanimously approved the emergency declaration, making way for the county to use federal funds to address safety concerns.

Gov. Kotek Calls for Repeal of Oregon's New Transportation Bill Amid ODOT Funding Crisis

(1/7/2026 — KATU ABC 2 — Portland)

Just days after Oregon’s new transportation funding bill went into effect, Governor Tina Kotek is calling for the repeal of House Bill 3991 and for lawmakers to work across the aisle on a long-term solution.

💥🚧 Storm Damage Shuts Down Roads, Trails on Mount Hood – Just as Another Storm Blows In

(1/6/2026 — OregonLive — Portland)

The Mt. Hood National Forest announced a slate of roads and trails closed by storm damage, just as another winter storm began blowing across the mountain.

💥🚧 Photos: It May Be Years Before Highway 229 Slide Area Repaired, ODOT Says

(1/6/2026 — Lincoln County Leader — Salem)

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is still assessing how to clear up a massive landslide that took out a portion of Highway 229 between Kernville and Siletz. New images from above show the magnitude of the landslide that occurred Dec.12 at milepost 14 on Highway 229.

😡💥🚧 N. Oregon Coast's Highway 6: Why It Was Abruptly Closed for the Day This Weekend

(1/6/2026 — Oregon Coast Beach Connection — Portland)

This weekend, those heading to and from the Oregon coast via OR 6 were rather mortified – to say the least – to encounter a closed road. Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) was doing some major work that required all lanes to be shut down. Many had to simply head back and go another way. It was a surprise closure.

💥🚧 Washington Co. Declares State of Emergency Due to Landslide Damage on Highway 6

(1/4/2026 — KPTV Fox 12 Oregon — Portland)

Washington County officials have declared a state of emergency regarding significant landslide damage at milepost 35 on Highway 6. After the highway was completely closed in the area most of Sunday as crews worked to repair damage, travel has since been restricted to one lane between mileposts 29-42.

💥🚧 Landslide Shuts Down Section of Highway 6 near Oregon Coast

(1/4/2026 — KOIN CBS 6 — Portland)

A section of Highway 6 near the Oregon coast is temporarily closed in both directions after a landslide Sunday morning, officials said. The closure was first reported at around 10:30 a.m., according to the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office.

Portland’s Latest Winter Tradition: PBOT Once Again Asks for Snowplow Name Suggestions

(1/2/2026 — Oregon Public Broadcasting — Portland)

It’s still rare to find accumulated snowfall on Portland roads — but it happens often enough that the city has a fleet of 56 snowplows. And a handful of them are about to get a new name.

📺 Icy Conditions in Columbia River Gorge and Eastern Oregon

(1/1/2026 — KGW NBC 8 — Portland)

A crash shut down I-84 eastbound for a couple hours Thursday morning, and the sheriff’s office said they saw a good deal of black ice on roads.

Referendum Overturning New Oregon Transportation Taxes Qualifies for Ballot

(12/30/2025 — KATU ABC 2 — Portland)

The Oregon Secretary of State’s Elections Division said Tuesday it had verified that a group that wants to repeal new transportation taxes passed by the Legislature earlier this year had enough signatures to get its referendum to do so on the ballot next November.

💥 Four More 'Bumps' Along Highway 26 in Notorious Spot between Coast, Willamette Valley

(12/30/2025 — KATU ABC 2 — Portland)

The recent heavy rain brought new pavement “bumps” to Highway 26 in the Oregon Coast Range, prompting state transportation crews to start more repair projects. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) said the four new bumps – or areas of pavement movement – came about after the December 19 round of rainfall.

💥 Speed Reduced Near Hwy 26’s ‘The Bump’ after Heavy Rains Cause Pavement Movement

(12/30/2025 — KOIN CBS 6 — Portland)

New reduced speeds are in place along “The Bump” on Highway 26, officials confirmed on Tuesday. The Oregon Department of Transportation said that starting on Dec. 19, the speed limit in the area about 20 miles east of Seaside was reduced to 5 mph when Oregon was hit by a round of heavy rain.

💥 Highway 26 ‘Bump’ in Clatsop County Returns Months After Costly Repairs

(12/30/2025 — KPTV Fox 12 Oregon — Portland)

The infamous Highway 26 bump has returned just months after the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) spent tens of thousands of dollars repairing the dangerous stretch of road. Recent storms have once again damaged the highway a few miles south of the Ecola exit, forcing ODOT crews back to square one on repairs they completed in August.

😡💥 Oregon Department of Transportation Lowers Speed to 5 MPH as Notorious Highway 26 'Bump' Expands to a Series of Bumps

(12/29/2025 — KGW NBC 8 — Portland)

Holiday travelers heading to and from the Oregon Coast are once again encountering the infamous “bump” on Highway 26 outside Seaside. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) says the problem area near milepost 13 is an inverted landslide, making it a recurring trouble spot for now multiple humps in the roadway.

💰🔨 Road Construction Projects Happening Around Salem in 2026

(12/28/2025 — Salem Statesman Journal — Salem)

Dozens of road construction projects in the Mid-Willamette Valley are scheduled to get underway in 2026, including the Center Street Bridge in Salem, a roundabout at Highway 22 and Kings Valley Highway and the Scotts Mills Bridge.

💰💥 1 Foot of Snow Forecast for Oregon Mountain Passes, Warning Issued

(12/25/2025 — Salem Statesman Journal — Salem)

A winter weather advisory has been issued for Oregon's Cascade Mountain passes for Dec. 26-27 by the National Weather Service in Portland.

💰🔨 I-5 Closures Planned for 4 Nights in January in Salem. What to Know

(12/24/2025 — Salem Statesman Journal — Salem)

Interstate 5 will have nighttime closures Jan. 8 and Jan. 12-14 as part of an ongoing project to widen I-5 in south Salem. The closures will allow for work on the Battle Creek Road Bridge.

💰💥 See Photos of Storm Damage at Silver Falls State Park

(12/20/2025 — Salem Statesman Journal — Salem)

---

⏪ Older News

---

Key: 🔨 = Project information | 🚧 = Road closure information | 🔥 = Fire information | 💥 = Hazard information | 🧾 = Historical information | 🇺🇸 = National road news | 🌍 = World road news | 🔊 = Audio version/podcast episode available | 📺 = Video | 💲 = Paywall | 💰 = Obnoxious paywall | 😡 = Other webpage annoyances

🌎 See Also

• Beaver State Blog, the blog companion to this wiki. Provides news and articles about past, present and future Oregon roads.
• ORoads, the site that started it all back in 2002. Kept around for posterity.