In the early twentieth century, the Historic Columbia River Highway became one of the first modern paved thoroughfares in the Pacific Northwest, crossing a rugged landscape from near water level to heights above the Columbia River. Its construction was especially challenging in the eastern section, where engineer John A. Elliott insisted that the road follow the same gentle turns and grade established in the west by Samuel C. Lancaster. At Rowena Crest, echoing loops at Crown Point and Hood River, the highway climbs, circles the overlook, and descends in broad S-turns along the cliff face. From the Sandy River to the Rowena Bluffs, the highway formed a continuous ribbon of curves. Its standards called for maximum grades of 5 percent and minimum turning radii of 100 feet, and where steep ground prevented that, engineers developed distance by looping the road back and forth. Elliott said grades, curvatures, distance, and even expense were sacrificed to reach scenic vistas, because the overriding purpose was to create a scenic boulevard of exceptional quality rather than to favor commercial needs.