Watch naming ceremony highlights in the latest online video

From ODOT-

Our latest Behind the Orange Cones video is especially moving. It contains highlights of the Sept. 29 Whilamut Passage naming ceremony. We’ve captured photos of the special day along with speeches by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and other community members who played a significant role in naming the bridge.



If you were there, this video will be a wonderful reminder of the day – as it was for me. If not, you will get to see and hear the touching moments.

Get the scoop on park improvements in the latest Behind the Orange Cones video

From ODOT-

The parkland surrounding the Interstate 5: Willamette River Bridge project is much beloved by athletes, commuters and reflective outdoor enthusiasts. These same park paths and natural areas also play a very important role in our construction story.



To film our latest online video, I relished the opportunity to spend part of my day capturing how we’ve worked to protect, enhance and improve this beautiful area, including its many paths and waterways.



In this video, you will learn that while construction has led to temporary impacts to Alton Baker Park and the Whilamut Natural Area; it will lead to valuable improvements when the bridge work is done.



We highlight the importance of the parkland around the bridge and show what construction crews are doing now and will accomplish in the future. These improvements include stream restoration and a temporary fish ladder, informative kiosks and visual enhancements along the Canoe Canal path and waterway.



Please enjoy watching and feel free to post your comments and questions.

Park kiosks get annual summer facelift

From ODOT-

If you’ve used the paths between Eugene and Springfield in Alton Baker Park, you’re probably familiar with construction delays and path detours in the I-5 Willamette River Bridge work zone.



We’ve placed eight kiosks throughout the park area displaying a large map of the park and the latest path detours. The kiosks also show the construction schedule and how the project will improve the surrounding land to conditions better than when we started the bridge work.



We update the park kiosks every summer to keep the information current. This year’s update features a close-up photo of the new southbound I-5 bridge, and highlights the accomplishments made on the project so far.



Take a look at the new kiosks along the park paths the next time you are in the Whilamut Natural Area and let us know what you think.

One side of each kiosk displays path detour information.



The opposite side of each kiosk shows the construction schedule and project accomplishments.



North Bank Path to close Monday, re-open July 3

From ODOT-

On Monday, ODOT crews will close the North Bank Path in Alton Baker Park west of the Knickerbocker Bridge. As part of the Interstate 5 Willamette River Bridge project the team will begin building a new path connecting North Walnut Road and the North Bank Path. Signs will direct path users to North Walnut Road until the path re-opens on July 3. Runners on Pre's Trail will also use North Walnut Road as a connector to head either east or west.



Path users should expect occasional delays and detour changes during construction. We will notify you of these impacts.



Please obey signs and flaggers directing path traffic in the work zone. They are there for your safety.

Voices From a Distant Past

From ODOT-  Fourteen large stones engraved with words from the Kalapuya language lie along paths in the Whilamut Natural Area of Alton Baker Park, a greenway on the north bank of the Willamette River in Eugene and Springfield.  Quarried from a basalt deposit in historic Kalapuya territory, the "talking stones", 11 of which were installed in 2002, serve as educational and cultural reference points as well as beautiful art objects.



As part of the restoration work for the Interstate 5 Willamette River Bridge replacement project, ODOT contributed four more talking stones to the park in 2009.  Three have already been placed, with the fourth to be added at the end of the project.



The original talking stones were the result of discussions between Kalapuya Elder Esther Stutzman of the Kommema Cultural Protection Association and members of the Citizen Planning Committee for the Whilamut Natural Area of Alton Baker Park.



Before the arrival of Euro-Americans, Kalapuyans were the largest Native American group in what is now western Oregon.  As many as 15,000 Kalapuya lived in their traditional territory, which extended from near Roseburg to Oregon City.  In 2003, an estimated 300 to 400 Kalapuyans remained.  For thousands of years, every object in the local landscape had a Kalapuya name.  Today, only 140 words remain.



The talking stones continue an important tradition of commemorating those who have gone before us and perserving their language.

Employees from subcontractor Dirt and Aggregate Interchange moved the new talking stones to their permanent locations in the Whilamut Natural Area of Alton Baker Park.

We are ready for the Eugene Marathon

From ODOT-

Sunday morning, thousands of runners will take to the streets and Alton Baker Park for the fifth annual Eugene Marathon.



Runners will not need to worry about path closures due to construction work in Alton Baker Park and the Whilamut Natural Area affecting this year’s race.



Before construction began on the Willamette River Bridge project in 2009, we worked with the organizers of the Eugene Marathon to make sure a continuous route for the annual race is always maintained during construction of the new Interstate 5 Willamette River bridges.



While we use portions of Alton Baker Park for construction access and rebuild the paths, we make sure to keep path connections complete throughout the park.



Best of luck to all of participating in this yearly tradition!

Restoring the Whilamut Natural Area

From ODOT- Long before it was named the Whilamut Natural Area, the Kalapuya tribe inhabited this 70-acre site on the north bank of the Willamette River west of Interstate 5. The Kalapuya gathered food, traveled on the river and hunted local game. Later the site served as farmland, supplied sand and gravel for the original I-5 bridge and was used as a Lane County landfill from 1964 to 1974.

Transformation of the site continues today. The City of Eugene and volunteers serving on the Citizen Planning Committee oversee efforts to restore the area to its natural state. Removal of non-native plant species such as blackberries, Scotch broom and tall fescue allows native species to survive and thrive. Planting of native grasses and wildflowers creates new upland prairies for wildlife habitat. Western meadowlark, vesper sparrow, woodpeckers, lizards, gopher snakes, frogs and turtles are expected to return and thrive.

A new forest canopy of black cottonwood and Oregon ash will protect plants needing shade while providing wildlife habitat and a cool zone along the river for juvenile Chinook salmon.

As the restoration proceeds, bicyclists, walkers and runners use the variety of hard and soft paths to travel east, west, north and south. Some stop to enjoy the river or just sit and experience the natural surroundings.

Future generations will appreciate the opportunity to see cycles of nature and flourishing native plants and wildlife.

Bike barriers installed to enhance walk along the river

From ODOT

Before construction started on the Willamette River Bridge, the local Citizen Planning Committee for the Whilamut Natural Area of Alton Baker Park was working with the Willamalane Park and Recreation District to address pedestrian safety issues on the Riverside Trail. On the north side of the Willamette River, the trail starts near the Aspen Street boat ramp and connects to the Walnut Road Path just before it passes under Interstate 5.

The Riverside Trail is ideal for a leisurely walk, but it is not suitable for biking due to its narrow, winding, bumpy terrain. Park planners hoped that by diverting bike traffic to more direct routes, the riverside path would become a pedestrian-only trail. Unfortunately, bike traffic continued to use the path, even after it was realigned and signage was posted.

To resolve the safety issues, the Oregon Department of Transportation agreed to design and install a pair of off-set bike gates that prohibit bike traffic but allow access to people with physical disabilities. These gates, called chicanes, were installed in January 2012.

This is just one way ODOT works with the Willamalane Park and Recreation District to enhance the park and mitigate the impacts of replacing the Willamette River Bridge.

New bike diversion gates have been installed at the western end of Riverside Trail in Eastgate Woodlands part of the Whilamut Natural Area.

Signs installed beside the bike diversion gates reinforce the prohibition of bicyclists from using this trail.

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.

Pouring a column

From ODOT- Pictures from the project.

Pouring a column.

Base of an arch.

The arches are taking shape!

From ODOT-

One of the best parts of a major bridge project is watching the construction team work its magic as a structure takes form. Such is the case on the new Willamette River Bridge. As the pictures below show, the outline of the bridge arches is now visible through falsework built to form the arches. Construction of the falsework requires close attention to detail, ensuring appropriate alignment, and safety for the new bridge. The construction team is doing great work as demonstrated by the progress being made. Take a look the next time you're on the Knickerbocker Bridge and start to visualize the gracefulness of the new bridge.

Boating and floating safely around the bridge project

From ODOT-
The hot weather has arrived!! Earlier today I started seeing people floating down the Willamette River to cool off.

I have floated and canoed the Willamette River in years past as I’m sure many of you have as well. You are accustomed to navigating the Willamette River near the I-5 bridge but what you may not know is that the construction has limited the channel you can safely use in the construction area. The Willamette River Bridge project was designed and is being constructed to keep a river channel open throughout construction.

Our contractor built a workbridge over the Willamette to protect the river from construction debris and to provide a work platform. The pilings to support the bridge have restricted the river to one channel through the construction zone. Always stay to the north side of the river, avoiding the channel near the south bank. Signs posted at ramps and in the river will direct you to the safest channel. For your safety, please obey the signs.

Enjoy the wonderful days of summer, use the river safely and check out our project as you go by.

~Jyll

Web cast and PSA launched

Summer seems to have finally arrived! The timing is great as we have just launched our second Web cast showing you the construction work that is underway and what to expect this year. After viewing the Web cast, as you walk, run or bike through the Whilamut Natural Area, you will have a better sense of the activity you are seeing.

Please also remember to be careful on the path detours and obey the flaggers. We’ve created a Public Service Announcement to alert path users of the importance of obeying flaggers. I encourage you to share this with others who enjoy the paths.

From ODOT-
I don’t know about you but I’m excited to see the sun is out and the temperatures are starting to climb. For many people, me included, that means getting outside more to enjoy the parks and wilderness in Oregon.

As you are probably aware, the Knickerbocker Bridge provides a great vantage point of the construction of the new Willamette River Bridge. If you are like me, you are curious to know more about what the construction crews are doing. With those two items in mind, we installed two informational signs where the bridge is wider for the benches. These signs will tell you a bit about what construction is currently occurring. I hope you will find the new signs helpful.

~Jyll

Congratulations to Hamilton Construction for reaching a safety milestone!

From ODOT- Safety is a major focus for all of us at ODOT and our contractors. On our Willamette River Bridge project, Hamilton Construction just celebrated a significant safety milestone with more than 50,000 person-hours worked without a significant injury or accident. For a project expected to take over 400,000 person-hours, current experience says a lot about the projects focus on safety.

Hamilton celebrated with a catered barbecue lunch for all its employees in Springfield’s Island Park. They also provide employees with gift cards. In addition, Hamilton makes a gift to a local non-profit organization when its crews reach safety milestones.

Hamilton presented a $2,500 check to Northwest Youth Corps which is a local non-profit located near the project in the Laurel Hill Valley neighborhood of Eugene. Northwest Youth Corps operates an accredited, alternative high school. It also employs over 1,000 young people, aged 16 to 19, performing outdoor work such as construction and maintenance of hiking trails, bridges, retaining walls, and campgrounds.

From my vantage point, Hamilton demonstrates the quality of company and the project it is managing by its willingness to take the time to recognize employees for their important role in creating a safe work environment and to make a contribution to Northwest Youth Corps.

Please join me in congratulating Hamilton and its employees for their focus on safety and giving back to our community.

~Jyll Smith, Public Affairs for ODOT

Everybody likes watching big things being built.

From ODOT-
Now’s a perfect time to go see the construction of the new I-5 Willamette River Bridge. A great spot to watch the work is from the Knickerbocker pedestrian and bike bridge in Alton Baker Park.

Right now, installation of the bridge arch “falsework” is starting on the north bank of the Willamette River. Falsework is the temporary steel and wooden structures used to form the bridge arches. After the falsework is completely framed, steel reinforcing bars—called rebar—will be inserted and tied together to strengthen the arches before workers begin pouring concrete to form them.

Contractors will pump high-strength concrete into the bridge falsework from large trucks. Later, once the concrete hardens, the falsework will be removed, revealing the new bridge arches for the first time. The falsework for the first set of arches is scheduled to be removed around August.

The falsework is visible from several vantage points, but the Knickerbocker Bridge provides the best vantage point. There you have a perfect view of the construction work on the new Willamette River Bridge. You can return often to watch how construction goes and see the arches take form. Binoculars can give you a close-up view of the work.

Enjoy your next visit.

~Dick Upton