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!

The planning behind the construction

From ODOT-

If you pass by the project site regularly, you’ve seen the two graceful bridges take shape across the Willamette River. What you don’t see is the coordination that makes it possible.

Communication is critical in such a dynamic project. Every Wednesday, Hamilton Construction Manager Con O’Connor and I meet with the superintendents, safety manager, project engineers and the traffic control manager. At this weekly meeting, the team orchestrates upcoming tasks, identifies potential issues and solves problems. Whatever the issue – coordinating timing of material deliveries, ensuring ample manpower for tying rebar grids, or evaluating erosion-control measures, for example – a cohesive, coordinated planning team makes sure it all gets done.

The primary outcome of each Wednesday’s meeting is a projected three-week schedule that we review each Thursday in our weekly construction meeting with representatives from the main construction partners, Hamilton and Slayden, as well as members of our engineering, inspection, safety and public involvement teams. Here we make sure everyone’s on the same page about upcoming activities, whether related to demolition, bridge work or roadway work. Then we are able to identify where extra efforts are needed to ensure staffing is available and the public is kept safe and informed.

In a construction project, tasks are bound to change due to scheduling conflicts or uncontrollable factors such as the weather. As a team, the Willamette River Bridge staff uses the most current information available and communicates often with all involved parties to ensure that everything runs smoothly as possible.

Scenes from the bridge site

From ODOT-

One of things I like most about this blog is the opportunity to share one-of-a-kind views with you. Here are a few recent photos that show you scenes from our work site from unique vantage points.

Crews begin work early. From the project site, they often get a great view of the sunrise.

From the top of the arches that are under construction, you can see the falsework and rebar cages that will hold the concrete once it is poured.

Workers standing on the falsework give you a sense of the arches’ size.

On the south side of the project, the viaduct for the new multi-use path along Franklin Boulevard is coming along nicely. The new bridge is downstream, in the background.

Close Coordination with Utilities is Required

From ODOT-  The need for close coordination with the local utilities is not often noticed or discussed on major construction projects, yet it is important to prevent impacts to service to local residents.  On the Willamette River Bridge project, water, sewer, natural gas, electrical and major fiber optics cables are all found in the construction zone.  Crews need to relocate many lines and carefully mark and avoid others as the work proceeds.

The pictures above show the future path of the new multi-use viaduct path on the north side of Franklin Boulevard before and after crews removed utility poles in preparation for construction.

Removal of the guardrails will provide an open area for large equipment to drill shafts and begin path construction.

As work begins you can clearly see why the utility poles and guardrail were removed.

A great deal of planning is required before any poles, lines or pipes are moved.  Our contractors meet with the appropriate service providers to outline the impacts, options and timing for any changes.  Close coordination ensures that the utility can schedule its work to occur before our construction activities begin.  ODOT appreciates this close cooperation as we work together to complete this project.

Behind the orange cones: ties to the economy

From ODOT-

We’ve just completed our second video in an ongoing series that highlights the people behind the Interstate 5 Willamette River Bridge replacement project.



Because it’s the largest bridge replacement in ODOT’s history, this project affects a lot of people who live in and travel through Eugene and Springfield on I-5. This video shows how important the new bridges are to the local economy. I spoke with David Hauser, president of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, to get his perspective on the project’s importance to local business community. It was gratifying to hear that businesses are benefiting from the project because of the local jobs it has created and the extra money being spent by the crew members in the community.



We also show that by using the simple and well-marked detour, businesses on Franklin Boulevard are easily accessible during the two-year closure of the I-5 northbound off-ramp.



I drove it several times to capture the footage so you can see just how easy it is to reach the businesses.



Please watch the video on our YouTube channel and remember to support your local businesses during construction.

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.

Behind the orange cones: building the foundation

From ODOT-

I am excited to share with you our first video in a series that will highlight the people behind the Willamette River Bridge replacement project who are on the job every day, rain or shine. It was a thrill for me to go on site and see the action up close.



This video focuses on drilling the deep shafts that support the columns of the bridge. Shaft drilling is one of the first major tasks in building the bridge and takes place outside of public view, except for the massive drill you may have seen from a distance. The drill bit, or auger, is about 8 feet in diameter and 6 feet long. Standing next to it, I got a new appreciation for the finesse the crew needs to operate this colossal machinery in tight quarters and to exact measurements.



While I was on site, I talked to a manager from DBM Contractors, the company doing the shaft drilling work. He told us about the giant drill, how it works, the different materials it drills through and the special training needed to operate it.



Please watch the video on our YouTube channel and let us know what you think. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed going on site to make it. I’d also love to hear your suggestions for topics you’d like to see covered in future videos!