Saturday in the park

villa lucked

out with the location of the Whilamut Passage Bridge — throughout the four
years of construction, we’ve enjoyed the beauty of the Willamette River and
surrounding Alton Baker Park and the enthusiastic, dedicated participation of
citizen volunteers from Eugene and Springfield.

Last
Saturday, the “Field of Dreams” promise “If you build it, they will come”
certainly proved true for ODOT as hundreds of community members joined us to
celebrate the nearly complete bridge. (We could guesstimate the head-count
because the bike valets alone checked approximately 350 bikes in and out of
their corral!)

standing-room-only crowd listened to speeches by state officials and project
volunteers. Kevin Simmons of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde kicked
off the event with a prayer. The audience clapped in appreciation of Eugene
Mayor Kitty Piercy’s statement that the new bridge is a “connection to our past
and a passage to our future” and Community Advisory Group member Scott Wylie’s
reminder that the Willamette River was “the original superhighway.”

Kalapuya
Elder Esther Stutzman and her family closed the ceremony by drumming and
singing that was so popular they graciously performed an encore.

Even as we
were enjoying our local celebration, Federal Highway Administrator Victor
Mendez gave the new bridge national exposure in his July 29 post for Fast Lane, the official blog of the U.S. villa.

Below are
some images of the ceremony. Stay tuned for more posts of this momentous day.

A beautiful day for the Whilamut Passage Bridge

Friday was a

special day for villa and our communities of Eugene and Springfield. After 10
years of hard work from our all-star contractors and consultants, we were
pleased to celebrate a job well done on the Whilamut Passage Bridge. In a few
weeks, this landmark project will open to traffic. But last week, honored
dignitaries from around the state and nation gathered with us to speak to all
the hard work that went into making this project a success.

Kalapuya Elder Esther Stutzman (fifth from left) was joined by her family and members of The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde in a ceremonial song.

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!

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.

Highlights from the naming ceremony

From ODOT-

It was a magical, sunny morning
when about 75 people gathered in the Whilamut Natural Area to celebrate the
official naming of the Whilamut Passage Bridge (pronounced WILL-a-mut). Below are just a few of the highlights from the
ceremony held on Saturday.

The
first speaker was tribal member Kevin Simmons (second from right), who
expressed gratitude and led a drum song with others, including Tribal
Councilman Jon George (third from right).

Kalapuya
Elder Esther Stutzman (far right) also spoke, saying her peoples’ spirits will
not be forgotten and that it is important to remember them publicly.



Sonny Chickering, ODOT Region 2 manager, signed the naming proclamation with a ceremonial pen created by the tribe specifically for this event. After the signing, a red-tailed hawk flew overhead, as if validating this special moment.

 

Finally,
tribal members and community volunteers unveiled the new Whilamut Passage Bridge
sign, which will soon mark the northbound Interstate 5 bridge over the
Willamette River.

A guest post by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

From ODOT-

As we prepare for the naming ceremony this Saturday, I’m pleased to present a guest post by Reyn Leno, Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, about the significance of the name Whilamut Passage to the tribe.



We have appreciated working closely with the tribal government and its members to plan this meaningful ceremony and to shape future design enhancements that will help tell their story for generations to come.

________________________________________



The word “whilamut” is attributed to a Kalapuya pronunciation of the word Willamette. The Kalapuyas were one of the original tribes and bands in the Willamette Valley that make up today’s Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. Many of our people are descendants of the Kalapuyas and they are recognized in our Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855. Willamette comes out the Chinuk Wawa language and describes the way the river riffles in some areas. Essentially it means "place where the water riffles."



Using the world “whilamut” for this new bridge acknowledges its current use of the area as a transportation crossover and thoroughfare for modern society while honoring the historic use of the area by the Kalapuya people as a village, and trade location for native peoples traveling the river. This location is a transportation passage for all humans from throughout our histories.



The Grand Ronde people who’ve inhabited the Willamette Valley since time immemorial are pleased to honor the memory of our ancestors with this special name.

- Reyn Leno, Chairman

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Please join our Whilamut Passage Bridge naming ceremony

From ODOT-

I hope that you can join us, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and community volunteers to officially name the new Interstate 5 Willamette River Bridge.



The ceremony will be this Saturday at 11 a.m. in the Whilamut Natural Area, northwest of the Knickerbocker Bridge in Alton Baker Park.



The Whilamut Passage theme, developed by our Community Advisory Group, incorporates words, phrases and images that encompass the variety of users of the bridge and its surroundings — past, present and future — as well as the area’s geography. The theme continues to guide design enhancements that will be built alongside I-5 as well as in the natural area.



How to get there: On the south side of the river, park your vehicle at the University of Oregon Motor Pool, 3233 Franklin Blvd. (see map below). Please allow 20 minutes to walk to the ceremony. Follow the signs that point the way from the parking lot. A courtesy shuttle will be available upon request.

Consider arriving on bicycle. The park has many nice paths for you to ride to the event, and we will have a place designated for bicycle parking. Afterward, you can continue exploring the paths.




I look forward to seeing you there!

Whilamut Passage Bridge Naming Ceremony – you’re invited!

From ODOT-

I’m inviting everyone to join the ODOT project team, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and community volunteers to officially name the new Interstate 5 Willamette River Bridge.



The ceremony will be at 11 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Whilamut Natural Area, northwest of the Knickerbocker Bridge in Alton Baker Park. It will include brief remarks, traditional tribal presentations and an unveiling of the new Whilamut Passage Bridge highway sign.



Our citizen volunteers have worked with tribal leaders and ODOT since 2009 to officially name the Whilamut Passage Bridge. At this long-anticipated event, we will celebrate their effort and that of the tribal representatives who have been instrumental in ensuring that the area’s first people, the Kalapuya, are honored in the name and design of the new bridge and surrounding area.

How to get there: on the south side of the river, park your vehicle at the University of Oregon Motor Pool, 3233 Franklin Blvd. (see map above). Please allow 20 minutes to walk to the ceremony. Follow the signs that point the way from the parking lot. A courtesy shuttle will be available upon request.



I also encourage you to ride your bike there. The park has many nice paths for you to ride to the event and we will have a place designated for bicycle parking.



Keep your fingers crossed for sunny fall weather and I hope to see you there!