Oregon Route 132 Explained

State:OR
Type:OR
Route:132
Alternate Name:Delta Highway
Map Custom:yes
Map Notes:Oregon Route 132 highlighted in red
Length Mi:1.6
Established:October 27, 1964[1]
Direction A:South
Terminus A: in Eugene
Direction B:North
Terminus B: in Eugene
Counties:Lane
Previous Type:OR
Previous Route:131
Next Type:OR
Next Route:138

Oregon Route 132 (OR 132), also known as Delta Highway is a short limited-access freeway in Eugene, Oregon, United States, linking downtown Eugene with Beltline Highway.

Route description

OR 132 begins at an interchange with Interstate 105 (I-105) and OR 126 on the north bank of the Willamette River, opposite Downtown Eugene. It travels north and intersects Valley River Drive, which serves the Valley River Center and a nearby retail district that includes several car dealerships. The highway crosses under a cable-stayed pedestrian bridge and travels northeast through the Delta Ponds, a wetland area and city park surrounded by housing.[2] OR 132 intersects Goodpasture Island Road and continues north to an interchange with the Randy Papé Beltline Highway (OR 569), which encircles the north and west of Eugene and provides connections to I-5. The freeway ends at the Randy Papé Beltline Highway, but the road continues as a two-lane surface street named North Delta Road.

History

OR 132 opened on October 27, 1964 as Delta Highway and is named for the nearby McKenzie-Willamette delta. [3] The lowest construction bid for the project, submitted by the R. A. Heintz Company, was withdrawn due to an accounting error, resulting in a dispute between the county government and the contractor, who was later awarded the bid in a second round.[4]

Under a 2017 bill passed by the state legislature, the Oregon Transportation Commission negotiated a jurisdictional transfer with Lane County for the Delta Highway that was finalized in 2019. On January 23, 2020, the commission approved the designation of OR 132 for the corridor.[5] The transfer was planned ahead of state-funded improvements to the highway's northern interchange at OR 569.[6]

Notes and References

  1. News: Tims. Martin. Lane County's New Delta Highway Opened in Ceremonies on Tuesday. September 5, 2016. Eugene Register-Guard. October 28, 1964. 1B. 6493245. Google News.
  2. News: Shutt . Craig A. . 2012 . OBEC Focuses on Key Niches . 7–8 . ASPIRE Magazine . . September 17, 2021.
  3. News: September 20, 1963 . Low Highway Bid Pleasant Budget News . 1 . Eugene Register-Guard . . September 22, 2021.
  4. News: December 12, 1963 . Heintz Rebid Again Lands Highway Job . 1 . Eugene Register-Guard . Newspapers.com . September 22, 2021.
  5. Web site: January 23, 2020 . State Highway Designation Resolution No. 115 . . September 17, 2021.
  6. News: Wihtol . Christian . May 17, 2015 . State details Delta-Beltline improvements . The Register-Guard . September 17, 2021.