| "Let's hear it for those hardhats" rouses crowd at bridge groundbreaking |
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| "Let's hear it for those hardhats" rouses crowd at bridge groundbreaking |
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Special guests break ground on the historic project.
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"There is no better economic multiplier in Oregon than infrastructure investment, and the Willamette River Bridge is the perfect illustration of the kind of project Oregon needs."
At the Interstate 5 Willamette River Bridge groundbreaking event on Aug. 11 in Eugene, Sen. Ron Wyden’s comments captured both the spirit of the event and the importance of the project. The crowd of about 150—including ODOT's director, the project team, community members and various government leaders—cheered the message, appearing to agree wholeheartedly that investing in the state’s roads and bridges is a top priority.
Following the speeches, the dignitaries grabbed their golden shovels and officially broke ground on the project. There was lots of cheering, many media interviews, and plenty of coffee and pastries, as all on hand celebrated and anticipated great things to come on the project and for the agency.
The $147 million bridge replacement couldn't come at a better time. Oregon, like the rest of the nation, is working hard to pull itself out of an economic funk. With numerous projects statewide, ODOT is keeping Oregonians working and investing in the infrastructure critical to support the state's economic recovery.
This project's story starts in 2002, when engineers identified shear cracks on the Willamette River Bridge, leading to weight restrictions and the eventual decommissioning of the structure. Since then, the bridge program has been studying, planning and designing a new bridge. The new deck-arch structure will reduce impacts on the area, provide room to grow and be visually impressive, whether viewed from Alton Baker Park or the Willamette River below. Construction of the new bridge officially started with the August kickoff celebration.
In addition to designing a beautiful bridge that will fulfill transportation needs for decades to come, ODOT's team had to create a crossing that addressed the needs of a river, a park and two different communities.
"We're really crafting this project very specifically for this site and for the community we're in," said Dick Upton, Major Projects Unit manager, in his remarks at the groundbreaking. "We’re working to understand how to fit our bridge within the context of this park."
One important group for the Willamette River Bridge planning was the local Indian community, which places significant historical importance on the Willamette River. Esther Stutzman, a member of the Kalapuya tribe, expressed sincere thanks for the consideration ODOT gave to her people's long, rich history in the Whilamut passage, as the area is known to the native community.
"When ODOT brought together a community team, it made me feel very good to be involved in this process, to be consulted, to be asked, "What is the input of the native community?' For that I am very thankful," said Stutzman.
In this digital era of blogs and social media, ODOT’s communications strategy continues to evolve. In the days leading up to the groundbreaking, the agency used Twitter to inform a wide audience about the project and upcoming event. Sally Ridenour, a communications division public information officer, maintains @OregonDOT, the ODOT Twitter account.
"New Willamette River Bridge design will be pretty and better for the river; it has 8 fewer sets of piers in the water," posted @OregonDOT the day before the kickoff.
The tweet included a Twitter version of a link to the Web site for the bridge, www.willamettebridge.org, which features a webcast of the project made by ODOT Photo/Video Services' John Kazmierski and Region 4 PIO Peter Murphy.
Rep. DeFazio also looked to the future as he previewed upcoming legislation that will increase investment in the transportation infrastructure nationwide, so states receive financial incentives to build more sustainable bridges.
"With all the new technologies in concrete and rebar, we can easily build 100-year bridges," said DeFazio. "And that’s what we should be doing for the next generation and generations to follow."
Director Matt Garrett rounded out the speeches with a description of the bridge project that reflected the optimism of the day, painting the Willamette River Bridge, the largest single bridge project in the agency's history, as more than just a bridge replacement.
"We’re charting a course that will create a distinguished landmark that enhances the environment," said Garrett. "We are going to weave a beautiful bridge in this tapestry right here."
In the end, Sen. Wyden pointed out his heroes of the day. In a quote splashed throughout the newspapers and broadcast over the airwaves statewide, he called for a "nice Oregon shout-out for the great work being done by all those hardhats over there. You can’t beat that quality Oregon workforce!"
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