Kenji Sugahara

Construction begins this summer on the Interstate 5
Willamette River Bridge

The Oregon Department of Transportation will begin construction work
this summer to replace
the Interstate 5 bridge over the Willamette River. Onsite work was
originally scheduled to begin
in May. The current schedule is to be onsite in July.
As one of their first tasks, contractors will build detours to
affected bicycle and pedestrian paths
in Alton Baker Park’s Whilamut Natural Area to ensure safe travel
around the construction area.
Path users can expect to see detours a few weeks after the start of
construction. We will send
maps of the detours to you prior to construction.
Kiosks throughout the park will inform path users of the detours and
will be continuously
updated to show the detour currently in effect. Please visit the
project Web site at
www.willamettebridge.org for more information, and look for kiosks in
the park showing the
detours as the project continues.
For this project, ODOT is using a Construction Manager/General
Contractor contracting method
for the first time. The CM/GC method encourages collaboration and
creativity to keep the overall
cost low and to speed the completion of new bridges.
Delays are not unusual at the start of complex construction projects.
ODOT does not anticipate
any change in the scheduled completion date of December 2012.
For more information, or if you would like an ODOT representative to
make a presentation to
your community group, please contact Suzanne Roberts, Public
Involvement Coordinator,
(503) 471-6866, suzanne.roberts@obdp.org.