The Astoria-Megler Bridge - photo Looking north from Oregon. North and South traffic across the mouth of the Columbia River was a problem for many years. In 1921 a scheduled ferry service from Astoria, to Megler on the Washington side, was established. The operation of the ferry system was taken over by the State of Oregon in 1946, with operational control being assigned to the State Highway Department. Pacific Coast Scenic Byway From Oregon to Olympia this highway runs along the Pacific coast turning inland along the Olympic Mountains then returning along the coastline of the interior straights.