Interstate 105
Interstate 105 and Oregon Route 126 overlap for 4.99 miles between Downtown Eugene and I-5 near the Springfield city line. The freeway depart the central business district along an elevated viaduct north across the Willamette River. Just north of the river is the interchange with the Delta Highway, a freeway linking I-105/OR 126 north with the Belt Line Highway, a bypass route along the north edge of the city. From the Delta Highway interchange, I-105/OR 126 travel north of Autzen Stadium, home of the Oregon Ducks football team, east to Interstate 5. OR 126 continues east from I-5/105 as a freeway north of Downtown Springfield.
The Interstate 105 Improvement Project repaved the freeway with asphalt, upgraded the guard rails and median barriers to modern standards, and added auxiliary lanes between Delta Highway (Exit 1) to Coburg Road (Exit 2) and Coburg Road (Exit 2) to I-5 (Exit 4). A $13 million contract was awarded in December of 2004 with completion by November 2005.1
The first section of Interstate 105 to open was the segment between Coburg Road (Exit 2) and Laura / Q Streets, just across the Springfield city line, in 1960. The opening of this section coincided with the opening of Interstate 5 between Eugene and Albany. Opening of the Interstate 105 between the interchanges with Coburg Road and Delta Highway (Exit 1) did not occur until 1966 despite completion by 1960.2 The Delta Highway opened at the same time as a county maintained freeway.
From Delta Highway south, Interstate 105 travel across the 1968-completed "Washington-Jefferson Street Bridge" over the Willamette River. The freeway ended temporarily at 1st Avenue as the city of Eugene and state of Oregon debated the final approach into Downtown to 7th / 6th Avenues. Included in the design was an overpass for the unconstructed Roosevelt Freeway, an east-west highway continuing OR 126 west to the Belt Line Highway and city line.
By 1972, OR 126 joins Interstate 105 for its entire length after the decommissioning of U.S. 126. The Springfield section of freeway east of Laura & Q Streets opened to traffic in 1971. In 1973 the final approach to 7th / 6th Avenues opened as an elevated highway with a park underneath. Exit numbers for I-105 originally counted upwards leading west to Downtown, contradictory to the standard east to west numbering system used on Interstate highways. This sequence changed in the early 1990s to start the numbering at 0 in Downtown.
Washington Street travels through residential areas of south Eugene northward to the Interstate 105 & OR 126 eastbound on-ramp from 7th Avenue (OR 99 south & 126 east).
04/01/05
Washington Street extends beyond I-105 one block to 6th Avenue (OR 126 west) for OR 99 northbound. OR 99/126 Business overlap from the freeway beginning east to Broadway and Franklin Boulevard. OR 99/126 follow the couplet of 7th / 6th Avenues through the Downtown area.
04/01/05
I-105/OR 126 provide a direct connection from Downtown Eugene to Interstate 5 and a bypass route to Springfield in lieu of OR 99/126 Business along Franklin Boulevard.
04/01/05
East
Interstate 105 begins and crosses 6th Avenue and the Southern Pacific Railroad line along en elevated highway. This suite of photographs displays the northbound viaduct and on-ramp from OR 99 north & OR 126 Business (6th Avenue) westbound. 1st Avenue and the Willamette River pass underneath the viaduct ahead of the eastern turn of Interstate 105 & OR 126 at the Delta Highway trumpet interchange (Exit 1).
04/01/05
The ramps from 7th and 6th Avenues come together ahead of the Willamette River on I-105/OR 126 east. The pull-through panel references the connection to I-5 at Exits 4 A/B. Forthcoming is the Delta Highway interchange (Exit 1). Delta Highway provides a freeway connector between I-105/OR 126 and Belt Line Highway.
04/01/05
Traffic interests to the Valley River Center and Eugene Airport (Mahlon Sweet Field) are directed north on Delta Highway from Exit 1. The airport lies northwest of the city along OR 99 (Pacific Highway). Delta Highway north to Belt Line Highway west provides a high speed route to Pacific Highway southeast of the facility. Valley River Center lies just west of Delta Highway.
04/01/05
I-105/OR 126 curve east after crossing the Willamette River into the Delta Highway interchange (Exit 1). Delta Highway travels two miles north to Belt Line Highway. OR 569 (Belt Line Highway) comprises a freeway east from Barger Drive to I-5 at Exit 195.
04/01/05
The first Interstate 105 shield appears at Exit 1. Delta Highway continues north of OR 569 (Belt Line Highway) at-grade to Green Acres Road and Ayers Road north of the Eugene city limits. The unnumbered freeway is a locally maintained facility.
04/01/05
The freeway parallels the Willamette River between the Delta Highway and Coburg Road interchanges. Coburg Road meets Interstate 105 & OR 126 at Country Club Road and Centennial Boulevard (Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard). Coburg Road provides a second entryway into the Eugene central business district from Interstate 105. Autzen Stadium, home of the University of Oregon football team, resides east of Coburg Road along Centennial Boulevard.
04/01/05
The final interchange of Interstate 105 eastbound is the terminal with Interstate 5 near the Springfield city line. Interstate 5 travels north-south through eastern reaches of Eugene between Goshen and Coburg. The freeway replaced the U.S. 99 corridor as the main route throughout western Oregon.
04/01/05
The lone stand lone shield for Interstate 105 east along the freeway mainline stands between Coburg Road and I-5.
04/01/05
09/16/20
One half mile west of the directional cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 5 on Interstate 105 & OR 126 eastbound. Interstate 5 travels north 106 miles to Portland and south 69 miles to Roseburg.
04/01/05
Exit 4A departs Interstate 105 & OR 126 eastbound for Interstate 5 south. Interstate 5 crosses the Willamette River nearby before entering southeastern reaches of Eugene. The freeway continues to Glenwood, Goshen, Creswell, and Cottage Grove before crossing the Douglas County line. OR 126 appears for the first time without Interstate 105 on the pull-through panel here. The state highway continues the freeway east to 52nd Street through the city of Springfield.
04/01/05
A left side off-ramp facilitates the movements of Exit 4B onto Interstate 5 northbound at the Interstate 105 eastbound conclusion. Interstate 5 meets the Belt Line Highway in one mile adjacent to Gateway Mall. The freeway continues north to Coburg, Albany, Salem, Portland, and Seattle Washington from Eugene.
04/01/05
West
Interstate 105 & OR 126 leave the directional cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 5 (Exit 4) en route toward downtown Eugene. The first interchange of the Interstate provides access to Coburg Road, Oakway Road, Southwood Lane and Centennial (Martin Luther King Jr.) Boulevard. Coburg Road provides direct access into the central business district of Eugene.
04/01/05
Football traffic bound for Autzen Stadium, home of the University of Oregon Ducks, should take Exit 2 onto Coburg Road south to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard east. Named after Thomas J. Autzen, founder of an organization that donated $250,000 toward construction of the venue, the stadium resides between the boulevard and the Willamette River south of Interstate 105. The venue seats 54,000.
04/01/05
Exit 2 departs Interstate 105 & OR 126 westbound for Coburg Road. Coburg Road travels south from Coburg and the McKenzie section of Eugene to the Willamette River and downtown Eugene. The four lane arterial spurs into downtown along an elevated viaduct with ramps to OR 99 & 126 (Business) and 3rd Avenue. MLK Boulevard travels west from Springfield to Autzen Stadium and Country Club Road. Southwood Lane provides a westbound side frontage road between Coburg Road and Country Club Road and Oakwood Drive stems north from the area to Cal Young Road.
04/01/05
A pull through panel posted at the Exit 2 split diamond interchange references Lane County Fairgrounds and Florence. The fairgrounds reside southwest of downtown Eugene along 13th Avenue west of Jefferson Street. Florence is the westbound control point for OR 126 as it leaves the Eugene metropolitan area. OR 126 ends at U.S. 101 near the Pacific Ocean.
04/01/05
Exit 2 partitions into ramps for Coburg Road north, Southwind Lane west to Country Club Road, and Oakway Road north from a directional ramp onto Coburg Road south ahead of the Willamette River crossing into downtown Eugene near the campus of the University of Oregon.
04/01/05
Interstate 105 & OR 126 pass over Country Club Road ahead of the Southwind Lane on-ramp to the freeway. Meeting the freeway ahead is the Delta Highway, a north-south freeway joining Interstate 105 & OR 126 with the Belt Line Highway, an east-west freeway.
04/01/05
Westbound at the Exit 1 trumpet interchange with Delta Highway on Interstate 105 & OR 126. Delta Highway serves the Valley River Center mall nearby on the two mile drive to the Belt Line Highway. The Belt Line Highway comprises a freeway bypass of Eugene between Interstate 5 and OR 99 (Pacific Highway). OR 99 heads northwest toward Eugene Airport and Junction City from the city of Eugene.
04/01/05
Interstate 105 & OR 126 westbound turn south to cross the Willamette River into western reaches of downtown Eugene. The freeway ends at ramps to 6th Avenue west and 7th Avenue east & Jefferson Street south. 6th & 7th Avenues carry OR 99 & OR 126 Business through the heart of Eugene.
04/01/05
OR 99 thru trucks sign directing motorists onto the 6th Avenue westbound ramp. Actually, the OR 99 mainline also follows 6th Avenue west with OR 126. OR 99 turns northwest onto the Pacific Highway away from central Eugene.
04/01/05
The right lane defaults onto the OR 99 north & 126 westbound off-ramp to 6th Avenue. OR 99 travels with OR 126 Business through Downtown Eugene. OR 126 returns to its original alignment from Interstate 105 here. OR 126 travels west to Garfield Street south and 11th Avenue west through western reaches of Eugene. From there the former U.S. 126 migrates west 58 miles to U.S. 101 at Florence.
04/01/05
The 6th Avenue off-ramp departs Interstate 105 westbound ahead of its end. Remaining traffic on the freeway defaults into the 7th Avenue intersection with Jefferson Street near the downtown mall.
04/01/05
Descending toward the intersection of 7th Avenue & Jefferson Street on Interstate 105 east. Traffic interests to downtown should follow OR 99 south & OR 126 Business (7th Avenue) east.
04/01/05
The elevated section of Interstate 105 south of the Willamette River parallels Jefferson and Washington Streets between 1st and 7th Avenues. Jefferson Street enters the scene adjacent to the Interstate 105 end ramp. A two lane ramp joins OR 99 south & 126 Business east ahead of the Eugene central business district.
04/01/05
Motorists continuing south from the Interstate 105 ramp defaults onto Jefferson Street. Jefferson and parallel Washington Streets form a one way street couplet between OR 99 & 126 and 13th Avenue. 13th Avenue heads west of Jefferson Street to the Lane County Convention Center and Fairgrounds.
04/01/05
References:
http://www.keepusmoving.info/- Wiley, Mike. "Interstate 105 - www.ylekot.com/orehwys/i-105.html."
Photo Credits:
- AARoads: 04/01/05
- Peter Johnson: 09/16/20
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Page Updated Tuesday November 15, 2005.