Up by the “River”

Biggest draw at the opening event last week was the rare chance to explore the

deck of the northbound bridge before it opened to traffic. Hundreds of people patiently
waited in line and carefully climbed six flights of stairs to enjoy big-sky
views and admire the recently installed “River” sculpture by artist Lillian
Pitt.

River is a
42-foot-long stainless steel depiction of a river and canoe flanked by camas
flowers and cattails that runs between the north- and southbound bridges. Etched
into the concrete pedestal below are the names of the nine tribes that make up
the Kalapuya tribe, which today is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the
Grand Ronde. Lillian Pitt herself is a descendent of Wasco, Yakama and Warm
Springs people, the only Native American among the three sculptors chosen to
create the above-deck design enhancements.

Many
configurations of friends and family members posed for photos with the
sculpture as backdrop on the historic occasion, and Pitt, sitting nearby to
answer questions about her work, happily joined them whenever asked.

As the summer
advances, look for two unique versions of camas baskets, also sculpted from
steel and each more than 20 feet high, to join River at the approach to each
span.

Opening event attendees read about design enhancements and admire the views atop the new bridge.

The young and young at heart take over the bridge with bikes

Before hundreds

of people walked across the new Whilamut Passage Bridge at our opening
celebration, about 60 kids and family members got to ride their bicycles across
it.

The ride was
made possible thanks to Kidical Mass Eugene, an organization whose purpose is
to teach kids, parents and caregivers safety skills and provide a ride in which
to practice them. 

The
family-friendly ride began in Fairmount Park, after which the kids and their
friends and family members headed over the bridge. They took in the
breathtaking views of the river. They also posed in front of Lillian Pitt’s “River”
design enhancement and talked to the artist herself.

A few of the riders enjoying the view.

Above-deck design enhancements move forward

From ODOT-

Three Oregon artists will soon begin work on design enhancements for the Interstate 5 Willamette River Bridge. I’m excited to announce that we have signed contracts and will be starting work on three sculptures to be located adjacent to I-5, north and south of the new Willamette River bridges.



Installation of the enhancements ─ “River” by the Lillian Pitt team, “Camas Basket” by rhiza A + D and “Blue Camas Basket” by Devin Laurence Field ─ will be complete by summer 2014.



This map shows where the three approved design enhancements, as well as future improvements, will be located.

Part of the funding for the I-5 Willamette River Bridge project comes from a federal package called SAFETEA-LU, which stands for Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users. It requires ODOT to build a bridge that is both functional and visually pleasing.


From the beginning of the design process in 2005, community members said the location and size of the bridges deserved special attention and asked that ODOT include design enhancements.



In December 2009, local citizens had their first opportunity to comment on design concepts. In April 2011, we held a second open house to gather input on proposed enhancements for above the bridge deck. For both events, our project website included a virtual open house that displayed the proposed designs and allowed viewers to complete an online survey with their comments. The comments we received weighed into the ultimate selection of these designs.



We continue to work with local stakeholders to ensure the new Willamette River Bridge and its surroundings reflect community values, the natural beauty of the Willamette Valley and the river, while recognizing the cultural significance of this area to the Kalapuya tribe that first lived here. Watch for more news about additional enhancements in the project area in the coming months.