Canoe Canal — what a difference

From ODOT-

The photos below show the dramatic changes to the walls of the Canoe Canal. Slayden Construction, one of the contractors working on the Willamette River Bridge project, is responsible for the recently completed transformation.



Lowering the walls makes the canal more visible and opens up the embankments on both sides. Crews will complete landscaping and design enhancements by early 2014.



We will replace the temporary wooden railing with a standard steel railing. When the work is finished, path users can walk, run or ride alongside the water, as well as stop to enjoy the canal and reminders of the Kalapuya culture.

This picture, taken in April 2011, shows the Canoe Canal looking east where it passes under Interstate 5 and the Canoe Canal Bridge. The concrete walls along the canal appear as originally constructed in 1974.

This picture, taken this month, also shows the Canoe Canal looking east as it passes under I-5. Walls on both sides are lower and the banks extended. The area on the right side will include both a soft and a hard path separated by a landscaped area.