Jackson St. EB heads under I-5 in a desert of exits in Medford. Unusually for a metro area with a relatively early Interstate, the decision was made to only have exits at either end and nothing downtown based on a political compromise whose nature I cannot ascertain.


My SB company through Canyon Creek Pass is this 1962 Buick Skylark convertible that predates the completion of I-5 (Marquam Bridge) by 4 years.


Fun fact: This is OR 99 but this is not a state highway. The state route of OR 99 officially follows a number of county routes in Douglas County, such that it doesn't show up on official state maps. This one is Douglas CR 386.


Harvard Ave. EB, which becomes OR 138 at Exit 124, at an original I-5 underpass.


Looking north in Winchester from the south shore of the North Umpqua River. I-5 is the mildly interesting truss and OR 99 (here CR 388) is the very interesting arch to the east.

The one on the left just feels more right. SB.


Jump with me to Portland and enjoy some exotic button copy. Both of these NB photos are on the left side of a gantry that features a sign for Exit 299A, but there was nothing wrong or cool (respectively) about those.


Here's the aforementioned Marquam Bridge, but I'm going north over the Willamette River on the boring upper level.


At least the upper level has views. The Hawthorne Bridge is first, with the Morrison and Steel Bridges behind it. The farthest Willamette River crossing is the distant arch of I-405's Fremont Bridge, and I close out the run with a side view of the Hawthorne.


Exit 300 is the beginning of I-84, but it goes quite a distance before merging with the shorter SB ramp. In that time, it spurs to Yamhill St. from which OMSI can be obtained.


Two more photos from my early days (2004), closer to the Fremont Bridge and an odd construction shield at Exit 305. Apparently Oregon likes to save space on detour shields, but I've only ever seen BUS in them before, not "BY" for Bypass.


A perspective of the lumpy Interstate Bridge from OR 120/OR 99E, well predating Interstate Highways (1917) but so named because Washington is just over the Columbia River.


Drive south with me by the dawn's early light, o'er the bridge of the Interstate. I feel like the signs used to be about twice as tall and that would still seem to be adequately visible, which would undo the awkward layout of the Exit 308 advance.

Onto OR 99 alone

Into California on I-5
Into Washington on I-5
Exit 108 to OR 99 (Douglas CR 386)
Over to OR 99 (Douglas CR 388) at Winchester Bridge
Exit 299B to I-405
Exit 299B to US 26
Exit 300 to I-84
Over to the Hawthorne Bridge
Over to the Steel Bridge
(Exit 305) to Bypass US 30
Back to Oregon Roads
Back to Roads