Oregon Route 203
Oregon Route 203 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Route 203 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by ODOT | ||||
| Length | 49.23 mi (79.23 km) | |||
| Existed | 1935–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  I-84 in Baker City | |||
 OR 237 in Union | ||||
| North end |  I-84 / US 30 in La Grande | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Oregon | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Oregon Route 203 is an Oregon state highway running from Interstate 84 near La Grande to I-84 near Baker City. OR 203 is composed of part of the La Grande-Baker Highway No. 66 (see Oregon highways and routes) and the Medical Springs Highway No. 340. It is a combined 49.23 miles (79.23 km) long and runs north–south.
Route description
OR 203 begins at an intersection with I-84 and U.S. Route 30 near La Grande. It heads southeast through Hot Lake to Union, where it overlaps OR 237 for 0.58 miles (0.93 km). After the concurrency ends, OR 203 continues southeast to Medical Springs, then turns south, southwest, and west to an intersection with I-84 near Baker City, where it ends.
The official description of OR 203 indicates that it ends at an intersection with OR 86 near Baker City. Current Department of Transportation charts, however, suggest that this description is outdated.
History
Highway 203 was first opened in 1935. Over the decades that followed, various sections of Catherine Creek southeast of Union were channelized to avoid impinging on the roadway. This area of Catherine Creek has recently been the focus of restoration efforts, since some sections support high populations of threatened anadromous fish.
Major intersections
| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker | Baker City | 0.00 | 0.00 |  I-84 east – Ontario OR 86 – Baker City, Richland | Southern end of I-84 overlap |
| | 4.03 | 6.49 |  I-84 west – Pendleton | Northern end of I-84 overlap | |
| Union | Union | 42.33 | 68.12 |  OR 237 south – North Powder, Baker City | Southern end of OR 237 overlap |
| 42.91 | 69.06 |  OR 237 north – Cove | Northern end of OR 237 overlap | ||
| La Grande | 53.18 | 85.58 | I-84 / US 30 – Baker City, Pendleton | Roadway continues as westbound US 30 | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- ^ "Road Assets and Mileage". Oregon Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
- "MEDICAL SPRINGS HIGHWAY No. 340" (PDF). October 2014. pp. 1–2.
- "OLD OREGON TRAIL HIGHWAY No. 6" (PDF). January 2017. p. 6.
- "LA GRANDE–BAKER HIGHWAY No. 66" (PDF). August 2017. p. 1.