Another piece of Eugene history was briefly on display in downtown. As part of the reconstruction of Willamette Street, crews earlier this month unearthed trolley tracks between 11th and 13th avenues. The tracks were part of a streetcar system that was used in the early portion of the 20th Century.
Engineers knew of the track’s location as they planned this project. Because of the age of the rails, some date back to 1912, archaeologists were retained for the project. They worked with the construction contractor to document and record the old line and its structure.
Crews removed the historic line as they continue their work rebuilding Willamette Street. The City will salvage the basalt pavers, the material alongside the rails in the old roadway. The steel lines will be recycled.
The construction work is expected to continue through late October. The project also calls for the repaving on Willamette Street between 10th and 11th avenues. Traffic is reduced to one southbound lane of travel for the duration of the work. Street parking is also restricted.