• Home
  • Archives

Dave Knows Portland

Subscribe to Dave Knows Portland by Email

August 27, 1966: Astoria-Megler Bridge Officially Opens, Completing Last Link in Highway 101 from Mexico to Canada

August 27, 2011 by Dave Leave a Comment

Headline and photo from The Sunday Oregonian, 28 August 1966A four day celebration marked the dedication of the Astoria-Megler Bridge, with a ribbon cutting taking place on August 27, 1966 (The Sunday Oregonian, 28 August 1966).

ASTORIA (Special) – The $25 million Astoria – Megler Bridge was dedicated here Saturday under faultless skies, closing the last link in Highway 101 from Tijuana, Mexico, to the northern tip of Washington – 1,625 miles.

Oregon’s Gov. Mark O. Hatfield and Washington’s Gov. Daniel J. Evans presided and an estimated 30,000 to 35,000 people jammed this coastal community for a day of celebration which included the finish of a marathon boat race from Portland to Astoria; a three – hour parade down Marine Drive; the dedication ceremonies; a mammoth salmon barbecue at the fairgrounds and finally a semi-pro football game at Gyro Field.

(Though this was the official dedication, the Astoria-Megler Bridge had actually opened to automobile traffic a month earlier, on July 29, 1966.)

Filed Under: History, Oregon, This Day in History, Travel

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Dave Knows Portland Archive

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in