Story and photos by David W. Moody
A construction worker positions a steel support on Eugene Oregon's Delta Ponds bicycle bridge
If you’ve driven Eugene, Oregon’s Delta Highway this winter, chances are you’ve noticed tall, steel structures rising from the south end of the Delta Ponds. By fall of 2010, workers will have transformed those structures into an elegant suspension bridge that will ferry bicyclists and pedestrians over Delta Highway, connecting them to the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Trail System and the Delta Ponds.
According to a recent article in The Register Guard, two of Eugene’s existing bicycle bridges have triggered mixed reviews from the public. The article points out that Alton Baker Park’s Peter Defazio bridge is beautiful, but that its close proximity to Ferry Street Bridge–complete with wide sidewalks on both sides–leaves some users wondering if the $2.8 million dollars should have been spent elsewhere. More recently, a $2.5 million dollar bridge over Interstate-5 that connects Harlow Road neighborhoods with Springfield’s Gateway Mall has seen little use since opening.
But for those who regularly enjoy bicycling in Eugene, off-street trails and bridges are a must. They provide safe passage over or around dangerous intersections, prevent accidents and increase accessibility. They help connect locals and visitors to Eugene’s extensive outdoor infrastructure, allowing more people to enjoy more places. While sharing roads with motor vehicles is a necessary element of bicycle transportation, dedicated off-street trails are safer and more enjoyable.
According to The Register Guard, construction of the Delta Ponds bridge is being funded by federal stimulus dollars, grants and state funds and will create 85 much-needed jobs in the Eugene/Springfield area. But more than that, the bridge will add a crucial east-west link to a forward-thinking and dynamic park and trail system. It will draw walkers, bikers and birders to the Willamette river, Delta Ponds and Valley River Center. It will also encourage bicycle commuting between East Eugene and West Springfield along Cal Young, Coburg and Harlow Roads. The previously-mentioned I-5 bicycle bridge will become this route’s final connection to Springfield and should therefore see increased use.
Eugene is a community with vibrant outdoor spaces where people exercise, connect and relax. We should continue to increase our collective quality of life by linking those spaces and making them more accessible. The new Delta Ponds bridge project will create a safe community corridor that will improve the quality of our city. Our community support of similar projects has earned Eugene the bicycle-friendly gold level by the League of American Bicyclists.
Steel supports at the south end of Eugene Oregon's Delta Ponds where a new bicycle and pedestrian bridge will cross Delta Highway
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excellent job here! did you take the pictures???
[...] which already has a “gold” rating from the League of American Bicyclists, has started new projects to increase bike use in the city. However, even if Eugene adds more bike lanes, bridges and trails, [...]
[...] next post shared the excitement and controversy around the Delta Ponds bicycle and pedestrian bridge [...]