Kalama, WA to St. Helens, OR? Bridge Crossing??
Jul 1st, 2010, 07:28 PM
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Kalama, WA to St. Helens, OR? Bridge Crossing??
I will be in Seattle and then driving to Portland. Along the way, I need to stop in Kalama, WA and St. Helens, OR. Am I going to have to backtrack up northwards to cross the river or is there some bridge I'm just not seeing on the maps that would allow me to proceed south after Kalama and then cross over without much backtracking?
Jul 1st, 2010, 07:38 PM
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Infortunately, you will need to backtrack to Longview and cross there. The next bridge up stream is I-5 and it's a bottleneck at rush hour and other times (it was built almost 100 years ago! We really need a few more bridges over the Columbia in the Portland area - that is for sure)
Jul 1st, 2010, 09:47 PM
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travel971, let me make sure I understand your question.
You mean, as you head south from Seattle, you'll be crossing from Washington to Oregon at Kalama/Longview via the Longview Bridge (aka Lewis and Clark Bridge) to Rainier and then heading SW on US 30 on to St. Helens. Are you saying you then want to head north back to Seattle or south on to Portland? In the latter case, why not just take US 30 east all the way down to Portland (without crossing back to I-5)? I've even gone to/from Seattle that way from Portland, just for an alternate route (US 30 and I-5 run fairly parallel on each side of the Columbia most of the way between Longview and Portland.) Sure, it's a bit slower to get to Portland but not an hour slower or anything - especially if you've already made it down to St. Helens.
Or am I not getting what you are asking?
(Anyway, you'll get a fantastic view on US 30 of the amazing St. Johns Bridge on your left as you head into Portland!)
You mean, as you head south from Seattle, you'll be crossing from Washington to Oregon at Kalama/Longview via the Longview Bridge (aka Lewis and Clark Bridge) to Rainier and then heading SW on US 30 on to St. Helens. Are you saying you then want to head north back to Seattle or south on to Portland? In the latter case, why not just take US 30 east all the way down to Portland (without crossing back to I-5)? I've even gone to/from Seattle that way from Portland, just for an alternate route (US 30 and I-5 run fairly parallel on each side of the Columbia most of the way between Longview and Portland.) Sure, it's a bit slower to get to Portland but not an hour slower or anything - especially if you've already made it down to St. Helens.
Or am I not getting what you are asking?
(Anyway, you'll get a fantastic view on US 30 of the amazing St. Johns Bridge on your left as you head into Portland!)
Jul 2nd, 2010, 08:51 AM
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Replacing the Interstate Bridge (I-5) between Oregon and Washington has been a controversial topic in the Portland-Vancouver area. It's going to be really expensive and probably require a toll. Several proposals have been made and shot down. Stay tuned!
