A variety of columns will support the new northbound bridge

From ODOT-

As the new northbound Willamette River Bridge rises from the ground, the columns on the south bank are most visible. When finished, seven of the nine either columns or sets of columns supporting this bridge will be located on the south bank of the river.

This is a stark contrast to the original bridge, which had many more of its columns, five to be exact, in the river instead of on land. The new bridge will touch down in the river only once.

The columns are not all the same. The pictures below show various configurations.

Above, workers prepare to pour the column south of the pedestrian path. It is wide, narrow, centered under the bridge deck and poured in two separate vertical sections.

Round rebar cages from this single column, centered under the bridge deck. Crews will pour the concrete walls as one section.

Shown in the two photos above is one of the three rectangular columns being built south of the railroad, in two stages of construction. The rebar on top will connect the column to the beam that will connect it with an adjacent column. The column south of these is a single column centered under the bridge.

An additional, larger column is located further south of these columns, just before the bridge joins Interstate 5 northbound.

ODOT approves design enhancements for north bank natural area

From ODOT-

ODOT has approved two design enhancements proposed by Litus LLC for the Whilamut Naural Area near the new Interstate 5 Willamette River bridges.



Blue engraved stones will be installed on the slope south of the Canoe Canal Path under Interstate 5. Fifteen stones will depict the life cycle of the abundant camas, from the bulb's edible underground roots, to its open flowers, to its seeds falling to the ground.



The designs reflect the "Whilamut Passage" theme selected by the community in 2009. When completed in 2014, the installation will enhance local understanding of the Kalapuya culture and the area inhabited by Native Americans.



Teams from the Community Involvement and Long-term Ownership Strategy (CILOS) will participate in the restoration of 3.5 acres of land in the Whilamut Natural Area. They will restore the Willamette Valley upland and prairie habitat by removing non-native vegetation and planting native species. They will add design enhancements consisting of singing perches for birds created by supported tree snags. Some 14 local schools working in groups of 20 - 40 students per school will complete the project over three years. Ongoing education and awareness is an important aspect of this project.

Here's a rendering of the singing perches to be placed in the Whilamut Natural Area.

Over the past few months, a Design Enhancement Steering Committee has worked with the local designers to develop the final recommendation. The Citizen Advisory Group and the Project Development Team reviewed the designs at the end of November and recommended them to ODOT. We have approved the recommendation and will move forward with contracting with Litus for final designs, with installation to be completed by spring 2014.



ODOT appreciates Litus' work and all the volunteers who helped develop these enhancements. They will certainly benefit the area for generations.

Hundreds of Volunteer Hours Make this Bridge Possible

From ODOT- I cannot stress enough how grateful everyone at ODOT is for the citizens who have donated so much time, effort and passion into making this bridge something we are all proud of.



A 12-member Community Advisory Group (CAG) has been instrumental in developing project goals, objectives and design considerations to ensure that community values are a part of the project. They have been meeting since 2007, and have included representatives from local neighborhoods, recreation groups, local artists, architects, the University of Oregon and the Citizen Planning Committee (CPC) for the Whilamut Natural Area of Alton Baker Park. The work on the enhancements has been guided by a Design Enhancement Panel (DEP), a diverse group of design professionals and community representatives, and a Design Enhancement Steering Committee (DESC) made up of four members from the CAG that continues to meet. The four members of the DESC are Charlotte Behm, Bob Kline, Vicky Mello, and Scott Wylie.



ODOT is fortunate to be able to include artistic enhancements on the project that will reflect community values and add cultural significance to the design. Esther Stutzman, a Kalapuya tribal representative, and David Lewis, representative of The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, have played a large role in inspiring the design enhancements. They each set aside time to help develop the bridge's aesthetic values and to foster the designers through their work.



I'd also like to thank our citizen volunteers who have worked to have the bridge renamed the Whilamut Passage Bridge. While the name is not yet official, we are well on our way thanks to their efforts shepherding it through the process. Thank you, all. Your work on this project has ensured that it will resonate with this community for years to come.

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.

Traffic switch, part two!

From ODOT-

Late Sunday night, we will switch northbound Interstate 5 traffic to begin sharing the new southbound Willamette River Bridge. The traffic switch will end in late 2013, when the new northbound bridge is complete.



Northbound freeway drivers may experience brief delays as crews move concrete barriers and safety barrels to guide traffic onto the new bridge. To minimize traffic impacts, workers will do the lane shifts at night.



Switching southbound traffic to the new bridge at 12:33 a.m. on Aug. 30 went very well. Below is a video showing the moment that the first vehicles drove onto the new southbound Willamette River Bridge.



What’s interesting to me is the mix of vehicles. In the first minute, 18 non-construction contractor vehicles crossed the bridge. There were nine commercial vehicles, ranging from a UPS triple-trailer and a double-deck car carrier, to six semi-combos and a large garbage truck. Nine passenger cars and pickups also crossed the new bridge. The importance of the I-5 Willamette River Bridge to Oregon’s economy and keeping commercial traffic flowing freely is clearly illustrated here.



The video was filmed by the Willamette River Bridge construction engineering inspection team, who deserve special thanks.

What a day!

What a thrill it was to see so many of you at our southbound bridge opening event! We were elated to see over 150 people last Thursday and share this milestone celebration, only a week after the project’s two-year anniversary.
It’s rare to see an interstate bridge empty of cars. It’s an even more unusual to see people, children and dogs strolling across one at a leisurely pace. Yet this is exactly what happened.
But first, we heard interesting and informative speeches from federal, state and local officials.
U.S. Rep. DeFazio looked to the future of the Willamette River Bridge project. “When this bridge is complete, it will facilitate the movement of the next four to five generations of I-5 users,” said DeFazio. “That’s a great achievement.” He also praised the large number of jobs that this project has created. State Rep. Terry Beyer expanded on this point, highlighting the economic benefits throughout the state.
While they couldn’t be here in person, U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley sent written statements read during the ceremony.
Springfield Mayor Christine Lundberg and Eugene Councilor Alan Zelenka talked about the benefits of the project they are already seeing both in the parks and in the local economy.
Esther Stutzman, representative of the Kalapuya tribe, led her daughters in a welcome song. She then talked about the significance of this area to the Kalapuya, the Native Americans who have lived in this stretch of the Willamette Valley for more than 10,000 years.
David Lewis, a representative of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, talked about the design enhancements. “I’m so happy I’ve been able to contribute to bringing back the spirit of our people to this place,” he said. “This project is giving us the opportunity to share the legacy of our ancestors.”

Esther Stutzman leads her daugthers in a Kalapuya welcome song.

The tour of the new bridge.

Please join our celebration and bridge walking tour on Thursday!

From ODOT-

The new southbound bridge will open to traffic by the end of the month. We are celebrating the halfway point of this exciting project and would love to meet our neighbors, who have been so supportive through it all.

Please join us on the work bridge at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 18. U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, state Rep. Terry Beyer, ODOT managers, local elected officials and other distinguished guests will be there to celebrate the significance this bridge replacement has to the region.

Don’t miss a once-in-a-lifetime experience to walk across the southbound I-5 bridge before it opens to traffic. We’ll provide a guided walking tour of the bridge, after the official ceremony. You’ll be able to enjoy the views from the new I-5 bridge at a slower pace rather than at highway speeds.

Because the walking tour will be in an active work zone, we ask that you be prepared for some physical challenges and take necessary safety precautions.

• The walking tour distance traveled will be about one mile and is expected to take one hour.


• You must be physically able to walk unassisted up a steep, rocky slope from the work bridge to the top of the new bridge. 


• We will walk the span of the new bridge and down a construction staircase to the South Bank Path. The staircase is five flights, or about 50 feet high.


• You MUST wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes, and pants are recommended. This is due to walking on rocky terrain, through an active work area, and on the tall, open staircase.

Parking is available at the University of Oregon Motor Pool at 3233 Franklin Blvd. Bicycle parking is also there, but please bring your own lock. Allow 20 minutes to walk to the celebration on the work bridge, or a shuttle will carry those who need it.

See you Thursday morning!

Special railing, fencing to protect drivers, railroad

From ODOT-

The new southbound Willamette River Bridge opens to traffic in late August. Special safety features will be visible to those traveling over or under the new bridge.



On the main span, unlike the usual concrete barriers on the sides of the bridges, the Willamette River Bridge will have special safety railing that will allow motorists on top of the bridge a view of the river below. The black, three-tube railing runs the length of the bridge over the river and connects to concrete barriers at each end.



Workers put the finishing touch - shiny black paint - on the new railing.

Safety measures are also required where the new southbound bridge passes over the railroad tracks that parallel Franklin Boulevard. There, crews installed protective fencing on top of the bridge’s concrete barrier. This fencing includes solid metal on the lower portion with open wire fencing on top. It is designed to stop debris from the roadway above from landing on the tracks or passing trains below.

At the south end of the new Willamette River Bridge, special fencing on top of the concrete barrier protects the railroad tracks below.

 

Franklin Boulevard to close this weekend

From ODOT-

Franklin Boulevard under Interstate 5 between Eugene and Glenwood will be closed from 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 5 until 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 8.

The weekend closure will allow our crews to remove wooden falsework used to construct the new southbound I-5 bridge as it passes over Franklin Boulevard. This gets us one step closer to the finish line!

  Signs will direct Franklin Boulevard traffic to detours using I-5.

• Westbound Franklin Boulevard traffic: take Glenwood Boulevard to I-5 northbound; then take exit 192 to Franklin Boulevard. 


• Eastbound Franklin Boulevard traffic: take the on-ramp to southbound I-5, drive south to Glenwood Boulevard exit 191, drive north on Glenwood Boulevard to Franklin Boulevard.

The bicycle path underneath Franklin Boulevard will remain open, controlled by flaggers, during this work.

We appreciate your patience during this temporary traffic disruption.

For real-time traffic information, please visit www.TripCheck.com.

What's in a name?

From ODOT- Local citizens have been working to get support for naming the new Interstate 5, Willamette River Bridge.



The name Whilamut Passage (pronounced "WHEEL-a-moot") is the theme of the project and guides the design enhancements surrounding the bridge. The theme recognizes the unique setting of the bridge in the Whilamut Natural Area, a place of historic and environmental significance. The setting is also a transportation hub of bicycle, pedestrian, rail, waterway, and highway traffic. To the Kalapuya, Whilamut means, "Where the river ripples and runs fast."



Local citizens have already accomplished many of the steps required for naming the bridge. They've received support from Lane County, the cities of Springfield and Eugene, and the Metropolitan Policy Committee. The Oregon Geographic Names Board approved of the name on June 25.



Because the name honors the Kalapuya, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde must also support it. Once this step is complete, the proposal will go to ODOT Region 2 for final approval. The Willamette River Bridge Community Advisory Group has also endorsed the Whilamut Passage name, and ODOT greatly appreciates the time and energy these volunteers are putting into a bridge that means so much to the community.

The I-5 Willamette River Bridge: a sound investment

From ODOT-

The budget to replace the Interstate 5 Willamette River Bridge is $204 million. That makes it the largest bridge replacement project in ODOT’s history. Roughly $157 million is for construction and the remainder covers environmental assessments, traffic studies and engineering services. The new bridges, which are designed to last 100 years, provide a great return on the publics’ investment.



Most of the funds for the new bridges come from the third installment of the Oregon Transportation Investment Act, adopted by the Legislature in 2003. The OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program dedicated $1.3 billion to repair or replace hundreds of aging state highway bridges in Oregon, including the Willamette River Bridge.



Another critical part of the overall funding package is $30.2 million of federal transportation funds obtained through the efforts of U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio for the project. Federal funds provide for construction, including a portion dedicated to design enhancements for the new bridges.



Besides improving our transportation infrastructure, highway and bridge construction supports local jobs. Did you know that every $1 million invested in transportation construction sustains about 11 family-wage jobs? There are more than 50 contractors and subcontractors working on the Willamette River Bridge project from Oregon and southwest Washington. The majority of the subcontractors are from Lane County and the surrounding area.

Check out our newsletter

From ODOT-

If you haven’t done so, I encourage you to read our spring newsletter. It describes the latest construction progress and the key milestones we’ll achieve in the near future. It also contains some delightful pictures of second-graders who recently toured our project site.



We publish a newsletter four times a year to update you on construction progress, design enhancements and mobility and safety notices. The newsletter also describes our public involvement activities and upcoming opportunities to stay engaged.



We distribute the newsletter to more than 975 interested readers. We enjoy sharing status updates and pictures of the project from the unique vantage points of the construction crews.



Past newsletters are available in the library section of our project website.



To subscribe to the newsletter, please contact Nichole Hayward at (541) 484-7052 or nichole@cawood.com. We send the newsletter by email unless you ask for a printed copy. Our newsletter is also available in alternative formats by special request.

The inside story

From ODOT-

Don’t have time to take a tour of the Willamette River Bridge project, but would like to learn more? You’re in luck. A representative of ODOT and our contractor Hamilton Construction regularly make presentations to local organizations, including Rotary Clubs, school classes, chambers of commerce and senior groups.



A presentation typically includes an overview of project history, costs, current schedule and important milestones. A slide presentation documents work and shows aspects that would be difficult to see on a tour. Presentations can be tailored to your specific interest and available time. Best of all, the team will answer all of your questions.



We want to keep people informed and seek input on the project. The new bridge is a long-term investment in our highway infrastructure and a lasting legacy to Oregonians - especially to the communities of Eugene and Springfield.



I invite you to take advantage of this opportunity. Contact John Lively at (541) 484-7052 or email at john@cawood.com to schedule a presentation.

Nation’s top highway official tours Willamette River Bridge project

From ODOT-

Yesterday was an exciting day for ODOT as Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez toured the Willamette River Bridge project with ODOT Director Matthew Garrett.



Through its Every Day Counts initiative, the Federal Highway Administration is showing agencies how to make the most of limited funding by delivering projects as cost-effectively as possible. FHWA is sharing ways state DOTs can use technology and innovation to shorten project delivery, improve highway safety and protect the environment.



The Willamette River Bridge is a perfect illustration of the kind of environmental and project streamlining outlined in the Every Day Counts initiative.



Thanks to the construction manager/general contractor delivery method, a first for ODOT, we were able to begin construction two years earlier than if we had used traditional design-bid-build contracting.



On top of that, we collaborated with environmental regulators to complete portions of the environmental permitting on this bridge in only 30 days — using traditional permitting methods could have taken up to 145 days.



In his opening remarks, Director Garrett noted that the Willamette River Bridge project is a shining example of our environmental programmatic permitting process, which was established at the start of the bridge program in 2003.



We greatly appreciate this visit by Administrator Mendez and his recognition of our project for using innovations in contracting and permitting that save costs and time, while building a safe and attractive bridge.

FHWA Administrator Mendez (center) touring

the Willamette River Bridge project.

Removing the falsework

From ODOT-

After building and installing the steel and wooden falsework structure needed to build the new sourthbound Willamette River Bridge for almost two years, the crew is now busy taking it down, a clear sign the bridge is nearly complete. Driving past the project, you will see portions of the bridge standing free, without any construction supports.

New bridge exposed south of Franklin Boulevard.

Removing the falsework requires careful attention to safety. Creews work overhead to disassemble the falsework, lower it to the ground and move it to storage areas. They have to watch for other workers on the site, as well as people, cars and trains that pass underneath.

To safely remove overhead falsework, we closed the Interstate 5 northbound off-ramp to Franklin Boulevard and Franklin Boulevard under the bridge in mid-June. We appreciate your continuing patience when future work closures are needed.

Bridge falsework over Franklin Boulevard.

As the falsework is removed, we are taking care to preserve as much material as possible, storing it on or near the site, so it can be reused to build the northbound Willamette River Bridge.

Preserving the Historic Eugene Millrace

From ODOT- Building a bridge located between two communities and natural areas is quite a challenge. For the Willamette River Bridge project, an additional challenge is avoiding impacts to the historic Eugene millrace.

Some remnants of the Eugene millrace can be seen in the river east of the bridge. Portions of the channel are visible under the bridge and along the river on the south bank. Seeing any remains on the river bank is difficult due to vegetation.

Before building the new southbound bridge, we mapped the remnants of the old millrace and made plans to avoid damage and restore any areas affected by construction. We hired a historian to document the millrace; this information will be incorporated into an interpretative display on the south bank.

From the time the millrace was first constructed in 1851 by Hilyard Shaw, it supported economic development and recreation in Eugene. Water from the millrace provided power for lumber and flour mills, a produce cannery, sash and door factory, cider and vinegar plant, furniture factory, a distillery and other facilities. Recreational uses included boating and floating parades in the summer and ice skating when frozen in the winter. Some well-kown University of Oregon student activities took place on the millrace. The millrace was last used for manufacturing around 1928. Floods in the 1940's destroyed much of the original structure, diminishing any long-term use.

I've enjoyed learning more about the history and significance of the Eugene Millrace. We look forward to adding to the historical record through a display for those who visit. The next time you are on the south bank path, look toward the river, and you will likely see some of the milrace ruins.

New webcast available

From ODOT- Just in time for summer, we have launched our third Interstate 5 Willamette River Bridge webcast showing you the latest construction work and what to expect in the next six months.



After viewing the webcast, you will have a better sense of the construction activity you see as you walk, run or bike through the Whilamut Natural Area.



The webcast also highlights how ODOT has collaborated with citizens and stakeholders since the beginning of the project. We want to keep the lines of communication open with you as construction continues.



As this webcast shows, the project blog and free site tours are the best ways to get a firsthand look at the bridge construction work. If you’re interested in a personal tour of the bridge project, please call John Lively at (541) 484-7052 or email: john@cawood.com.



Enjoy!

Why replace the Willamette River Bridge?

From ODOT- Looking forward to upcoming project milestones provides a new opportunity to explain why the bridge is being replaced in the first place.



In 2002, our inspectors found sheer cracks in the original Interstate 5 bridge. Because of safety concerns, we immediately imposed weight limits, causing heavy-haul trucks to detour 200 miles through central Oregon. Based on the condition of the old bridge and current safety standards, ODOT determined that it was not feasible to simply repair it.



Building the temporary bridge in 2004 allowed heavy-haul traffic to once again use I-5 to cross the Willamette. However, the temporary bridge used materials and methods that could be installed quickly and does not meet environmental, design or seismic standards for permanent freeway bridges.



When completed, both new bridges will meet current safety standards, accommodate up to three lanes of traffic and have a design life of 100 years.

Above Deck Design Enhancements Selected

From ODOT- ODOT approved three design enhancement pieces to install adjacent to Interstate 5 north and south of the new Willamette River Bridge. Before making the recommendation, local stakeholders reviewed proposals from five artists and comments submitted by local citizens. The enhancements represent the history and culture of the Kalapuya and other tribes in the Willamette Valley and ensure a lasting reminder of Native Americans for generations to come.

"River" by the Lillian Pitt Team depicts a canoe above a graceful wave pattern in a setting of large camas plants and cattails. It is the largest piece selected and will be located north of the Willamette River Bridges between the northbound and southbound I-5 lanes.

"Camas Basket" by Rhiza A+D, inspired by Kalapuyan basketry, is filled with fibrous reeds combined with camas stems capped by blue blossoms. It will be located north of the Canoe Canal Bridge on either the east or west bank.

"Blue Camas Basket" by Devin Laurence Field LLC, represents the once plentiful camas plant in local prairies, which was a critical food source and feature in tribal lore. Located south of the Willamette River Bridge, this piece announces the significance of the area to northbound traffic.

All three artists are from Oregon and have public art pieces installed throughout the northwest.

We are excited about the art selected and recognize it represents the importance of the Whilamut Passage, the Willamette River and this location to Native Americans, the region and the state.

You can view the three selected designs on our Flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/oregondot/5738236526/in/set-72157626374823972/

A nod to the bridge designers

From ODOT-

We have talked a lot about the construction of the new Interstate 5 Willamette River Bridge, but who is responsible for designing and engineering this graceful and significant structure?



The design team is led by OBEC Consulting Engineers, based in Eugene.



OBEC was created in 1966 as the design arm of Hamilton Construction, our main builder for this project. OBEC, then known as Oregon Bridge Engineering Company, and Hamilton originally performed design-build work for the timber industry. OBEC later separated from Hamilton in order to pursue a wider range of projects.



OBEC has engineered many bridges in the Eugene-Springfield area, including the structures in the Beltline Highway project, the Ferry Street Bridge project, the DeFazio Bridge, the Delta Ponds Pedestrian Bridge and the I-5 Gateway Pedestrian Bridge. OBEC also worked on the McKenzie River (Spores) to Goshen Grade project to repair two and replace five bridges between Coburg and Creswell.



To design the large Willamette River Bridge, OBEC teamed with 18 subcontractors, all but one of which is based in Oregon. They ranged from transportation planners and landscape architects to public involvement, geology, archaeology and environmental experts.



While their work on the major bridge design is largely complete, OBEC continues to participate in the design enhancement process and on any design or engineering refinements that need to be made during construction.