Looking back at 2012 and ahead to 2013

From ODOT-

As we welcome 2013, I’m thinking back on all of the progress our contractor Hamilton Construction and its subcontractors have made during the past year.



We started last January with just the new southbound bridge standing and a year later the arches for northbound bridge are almost done.


Here’s a look at how far we have come.

Crews opened 2012 by drilling holes into the earth for the shafts that would support the columns for the new set of arches on the northbound bridge over the Willamette River.

Early in the year, the team started building the touch-down point for the new northbound bridge, as shown above.

While workers removed most of the temporary detour bridge before 2012, they completed the task in June with the removal of the portion over Canoe Canal.

 

Construction of the new Canoe Canal span also began and completed in June.



This picture, taken in November from upstream, shows the arches for the new northbound bridge under construction. The final concrete pours joining the arch sections will occur this month.

Bridge construction was not the only accomplishment in 2012. Our project team also realigned nearby paths in Alton Baker Park, built a sound wall along northbound I-5, restored a stream on the south bank of the Willamette River and honored the Kalapuya Tribe with a ceremony commemorating the official bridge name, Whilamut Passage.

A new soft path now connects to a paved path in the Whilamut Natural Area.

Irrigation lines will help vegetation grow along the new sound wall.

Boulders help habitat in this newly restored stream.

Citizen volunteers join ODOT and local staff alongside the new Whilamut Passage Bridge name sign.

I’m excited to continue sharing project milestones and glimpses from behind the orange cones with you in 2013 as we complete the arches and bridge deck, open the new bridge to traffic and continue working on park restoration and design enhancements.

From the entire Willamette River Bridge Project team, here’s wishing you a safe and very Happy New Year!

Paving freeway lanes in black and white

From ODOT-

Building new freeway lanes is a sequential process, as shown by work on Interstate 5 between the new northbound Willamette River Bridge and the Canoe Canal Bridge.



ODOT subcontractor Knife River recently finished the first layer of paving for the reconstructed lanes. The black asphalt shown below is one of two layers needed before the lanes are ready for traffic. Crews spread and graded rock to form a base for the paving earlier this month.

Workers installed a first layer of asphalt, for the northbound lanes over a new rock base.

Next, crews will install rebar on top of the asphalt before pouring the white concrete that will complete the roadway in early September. The roadway will look like the photo below.

Here, rebar is shown on top of black asphalt in preparation for pouring a white concrete road surface for the southbound bridge.

To pour the concrete driving surface, workers will use a machine that moves along a track on either side of the new lane. The machine spreads and smooths the concrete as it is poured.

After the concrete cures, the highway shoulders and roadside barriers can be completed.


These lanes and the new northbound Willamette River Bridge will open to traffic in fall 2013.

All the original bridges are gone

From ODOT-

We look forward to celebrating major milestones on the Interstate 5 Willamette River Bridge project. Our most recent accomplishment was removing the last remnants of the old bridges.

Demolition began in 2009 when we removed the original Interstate 5 bridge. We separated the material, recycled the steel rebar and crushed and reused the concrete for fill to raise the ground level, form an embankment and groom other empty spaces in preparation for building the new arch bridges.

When we demolished the temporary detour bridge last winter, we saved its beams for other projects throughout Oregon. We’re reusing some of those beams to build the new viaduct path on the south bank near the new Willamette River bridges.

The last remnant we removed was a section of the Canoe Canal detour bridge, which we left in place until now to help us install the beams for the new northbound Canoe Canal Bridge.

The remaining portion of the Canoe Canal detour bridge just east of the new bridge (at left) was the last section of the old bridges to be removed.

To remove the last of the old bridges, crews first separated the remaining 21 beams from the support columns and hauled them to a storage yard, where they remain until they are needed on another project. Staton Construction demolished the remaining bridge columns and removed the last fill material. We will eventually plant native vegetation, restoring the area to a better condition than when the project started.

Now that the original and detour bridge are both gone, it’s time to focus on finishing the remaining structure being built across the river.

I-5 Canoe Canal Bridges near completion

From ODOT-

Crews with Slayden Construction Group are almost finished with the new northbound Canoe Canal Bridge. Now that the bridge deck is poured, the focus turns to installing railing and finishing the roadway.

Crews install wood forms between the bridge beams. The ironworkers use the rebar embedded in the beams (shown in the foreground) to secure interwoven rebar which will be surrounded by concrete when the deck is poured.

To pour the deck, the contractor installs steel rails on either side of the roadway to guide the concrete spreading machine. In addition, string lines control the paver direction and surface elevation. As concrete is delivered to the site, the paving machine spreads and vibrates the concrete evenly across the surface. Workers follow with hand tools to finish the deck surface.

Steel railing supports and guides the concrete paver along with an electric eye that follows the string line.

The deck then cures for up to two weeks to achieve the required hardness. When the railing and roadways are complete, the bridge will be ready for freeway traffic.

The finished deck awaits striping and other finishing touches.

Banks of the Willamette River improved

From ODOT-

Making the area better than we found it is a primary goal of the Willamette River Bridge project. Restoration of newly created open space, as described below, is just one example of the actions we are taking to achieve this goal.



In 2002, an engineering analysis identified the need to replace the bridge. In 2004, a temporary bridge provided an interim solution, allowing Interstate 5 to be reopened to freight traffic. To build the temporary bridge, ODOT acquired additional right of way to the east of the existing I-5 lanes and bridge and installed embankment material to support the temporary roadway.



The area is adjacent to the Eastgate Woodlands of the Whilamut Natural Area. An agreement between ODOT and Willamalane Park and Recreation District established conditions for the use and the restoration of the area once the project is complete.



Now that the detour bridge is gone, much of the embankment has been hauled away. We will remove the remaining material after the temporary Canoe Canal Bridge is disassembled in June. Restoration and enhancement of the area will complete this part of the project.



We will add native plants and an irrigation system for watering in the dry summer months. Native trees, shrubs and grasses will replace non-native species, which thrived in the area before construction began.

Most of the embankment material is now gone from this area just east of I-5 looking north.



When the temporary Canoe Canal Bridge is demolished, the remaining embankment material will be removed. The guardrails on the temporary bridge can be seen on the top of the embankment.



Keeping the public and our workers safe while placing beams

From ODOT-

Safety comes first on all our construction projects. For the Canoe Canal Bridge project, safety measures allow the public to pass through the work zone on Franklin Boulevard, the railroad or the many pedestrian paths during construction.



When we placed the support beams on the bridge abutments, we protected the equipment operators, the workers on the ground and the pedestrians and bicyclists using the paths in a variety of ways.



In advance of the work, signs along the path alerted users to the upcoming delays. We placed notices on the project website and blog, and notified local stakeholders through email messages. As the beams were placed, flaggers delayed path users until it was safe to pass.

Flagger shown in the lower right corner is stopping a bicyclist until the beam is set into place.

At all times workers wear standard hard hats, safety vests and other safety equipment. In addition, workers who need to climb on the beams use safety harnesses and ropes attached to the beams to protect them in case of a fall.

A worker is protected by a safety rope while he is on the beam.

Placing beams for northbound Canoe Canal Bridge

From ODOT-

Recently, our contractor placed ten beams to support the deck of the new northbound Interstate 5 Canoe Canal Bridge. Careful timing and teamwork made it a safe and smooth process.



Local subcontractor Knife River manufactured the beams in Harrisburg. Each 180-foot beam weighs approximately 182,000 pounds. Given the size of the beams, only one at a time could be moved to the site.



Once loaded, each beam traveled south on I-5 to the Glenwood exit, crossed over the freeway and then headed back north. The truck exited the freeway on the east side and backed into position to unload the beam.

Workers prepare to unload a giant beam.

Two large cranes on either side of Canoe Canal lifted the beam, as workers on the roadway provided directions. Once all the beams are in place and secured, crews will build forms and pour the deck surface.



The new northbound Canoe Canal Bridge is scheduled for completion in July 2012.

Large cranes carefully move the beam into place.

With the beam in place, workers disconnect the cables used for lifting the beam.

Here we go again!

From ODOT-

Now that all Interstate 5 traffic is crossing the Willamette River on a new bridge, our focus has shifted to tearing down the temporary detour bridge, with Staton Companies of Eugene playing the starring role.



Much of the material from the temporary detour bridge will be recycled or reused in other projects. This includes more than 300 girders—some of reinforced concrete and some of steel. Crews will move the girders to nearby storage yards until they are needed to build other bridges. Watch for lots of trucks entering and leaving the site as we move the girders.



We will demolish the bridge piers once the deck and girders are gone. Workers will cut the piers off flat at the river bottom and lift them out of the water.



We’ll also start demolishing the temporary Canoe Canal Bridge, north of the Willamette River Bridge. However, we’ll keep a portion of it up until mid-2012 to provide access to other parts of the construction project.



We expect the majority of the demolition to be complete by early 2012. We’ll then build the piers for the new northbound bridge, starting with cofferdams at each pier location to facilitate construction under water.



As we move forward, we’ll explain these steps in more detail and post more one-of-a-kind pictures here on our blog.

Enhancing the Canoe Canal

From ODOT-

Built in 1974 for recreational boating, the Canoe Canal is more than two miles long. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife regularly stocks it with legal-sized rainbow trout, making it a favorite fishing spot for many local residents. Pedestrian path users enjoy the meandering waterway, as well as the abundance of wildlife that it supports.



Until now, the canal under Interstate 5 has been contained in a large concrete culvert with high sidewalls that blocked the view of the water below. As part of the Willamette River Bridge project, our contractors are lowering both sides of Canoe Canal to increase visibility.



They removed the first four feet of the walls and installed new anchors to hold the remaining wall. When completed, the area around the canal will be landscaped to include special design enhancements, beautifying the surroundings for people who walk, run or ride nearby.



The Canoe Canal waterway connects to the Willamette River east of I-5 through Alton Baker Park, returning to the river downstream near the Ferry Street Bridge. 



The Canoe Canal before we removed the walls.



You can see how much of the walls have been removed so far.



Work Continues on Park Design Enhancements

From ODOT- Located above a pristine natural area with major pedestrian paths connecting Eugene and Springfield, the Willamette River Bridge project is located in a unique setting.

We have hired teams of artists to design enhancements that will improve areas near the pedestrian paths on the north and south banks of the river. The teams will finalize their designs this year. This is the latest step in years of planning to make sure the final bridge project fits in with its unique surroundings.

The most extensive enhancements will be in the Whilamut Natural Area. They will be located along the park paths under Interstate 5 at Canoe Canal, on the north bank of the river and throughout the area just west of the bridges. Working with local stakeholders to better understand long-term maintenance issues, the artist team for this area will refine their initial concepts for approval.

On the south bank, ODOT and the Design Enhancement Steering Committee members have decided to take another look at how best to use the limited space. The original design concepts were based on plans that have since changed, particularly those related to the realignment of the path on the south bank. In addition, we now know more about the required interpretative displays detailing the historic Eugene Millrace and the history of the Kalapuya Tribe’s use of the area. Integrating those displays with other enhancements makes sense and will result in a better experience for path users. The DESC will clarify the impact of the changes and make recommendations on how to proceed.

One thing is certain; the design enhancements will make using these paths even more enjoyable.

http://www.willamettebridge.org

Canoe Canal Path safety

From ODOT-
If you have been under the Canoe Canal Bridge lately, you may have noticed part of the old south embankment has been removed. This has improved visibility on what was a dangerous curve in the Canoe Canal Path, making the east-west commute safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Our decision to do this came out of discussions with path users about acceptable detours, how to keep an east-west route open at all times, and other changes to increase safety during construction in the Whilamut Natural Area.

We removed the embankment material with minimal impacts to path users and before the winter rains began, which would have delayed the safety improvement until next year.

This is just one example of the unique opportunities we have to work collaboratively with local stakeholders. I'm reminded of the success of these efforts as I look at some of the many improvements already completed around the bridge project. Ongoing coordination and communication between the project construction team, the local communities and park users will continue through completion of the new Willamette River Bridge in spring 2014.