A trip down memory lane

From ODOT- As construction continues on the new Willamette River Bridge, take a trip down memory lane to remember the original bridge and how its construction helped pave the way for Oregon’s interstate future nearly 50 years ago.



Before this link in the nation’s north-south interstate highway system on the West Coast was built, drivers had to exit the unfinished interstate and navigate local streets through the Eugene-Springfield area before reconnecting with I-5.



As construction continues and milestones are met on the new bridge, we are excited to have received historic photos from former ODOT employee Kenneth Lodewick that show the construction of the original bridge and how it linked I-5 over the Willamette River. I hope you enjoy looking at these as much as I do.

Construction of the original Willamette River Bridge circa 1960.

See more historic photos of this project here.