Dave and Lynn Frohnmayer Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge, Pedestrian and bicycle bridge in Eugene, United States.
The Dave and Lynn Frohnmayer Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge crosses the Willamette River between Alton Baker Park and Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. It was first proposed in 1970 by the Eugene Water & Electric Board to carry steam from its steam plant to a commercial greenhouse near the stadium, because the river's bedrock made a buried pipe impractical. The utility offered the university and Lane County the option of adding a pedestrian deck if they covered the extra cost.
The bridge originated in the 1970s when a local utility company proposed it primarily to carry pipes across the river for their operations. The design was later adapted to serve the public as a pedestrian and cycling route, transforming it from a purely industrial infrastructure into shared community space.
The bridge honours David B. Frohnmayer, University of Oregon president from 1994 to 2009, and his wife Lynn, a lawyer and advocate for families of children with disabilities. Locals still call it the Autzen Footbridge, the name it carried before the renaming. It links Alton Baker Park with Autzen Stadium, so on game days the deck fills with Ducks fans walking to the stadium.
The bridge links Alton Baker Park on the south bank with the Autzen Stadium area on the north, so it works as a car-free route on football game days. The deck is level and shared by walkers and cyclists, and the crossing is short enough to cover on foot in a few minutes.
The 1970 proposal came from the Eugene Water & Electric Board, which wanted to run steam from its steam plant to a commercial greenhouse near Autzen Stadium. Bedrock in the river ruled out a buried pipe, so EWEB offered the university and Lane County the chance to add a pedestrian deck if they covered the extra cost.
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