Dennis L. Edwards Tunnel (former Sunset Tunnel; Wolf Creek Tunnel) – Timber OR

Description

Originally named the Wolf Creek Tunnel, construction on this 800-foot long tunnel began in 1940 as one of the final steps in completion of the Wolf Creek Highway’s path through the Coast Range linking the Portland area with northern Oregon coastal communities. Kibbe and Kearn, a Portland firm, cut the tunnel’s bore. Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers completed the stone masonry veneer on the tunnel’s east and west portals. The project was completed in 1941.

Oregon State Highway engineers designed the rustic-style tunnel portals. The plans were reviewed by National Park Service landscape architects and carried out by WPA masons under the supervision of Ralph Curcio, an Italian immigrant know for his contribution to Oregon landmarks such as the Vista House and Columbia River Highway. Curicio and the WPA workers he trained are also associated with New Deal tunnels such as the Rocky Butte tunnel, the NW Cornell Road Tunnels and the West Burnside Tunnel.

In 1946, the Wolf Creek Highway became the Sunset Highway in honor of the 41st Infantry Division and its insignia. The tunnel name changed at the same time. Its current name was acquired in 2002 to honor an Oregon Department of Transportation employee who died while inspecting the tunnel after particularly heavy rains.