QuickTake:

The wooden footbridge near Autzen Stadium and Alton Baker Dog Park is set to close Feb. 16, with construction expected to last about 30 days. Pedestrians and cyclists will be detoured to nearby bridges, while officials have not yet released details about the bridge’s design or the reason for its replacement.

The city of Eugene and the University of Oregon will close and rebuild the wooden footbridge over the canoe canal near Autzen Stadium and Alton Baker dog park.

Construction is scheduled to begin Feb. 16 and is expected to take about 30 days.

Detour signs will be posted in the coming weeks directing path users to the bridge near the Emerald Valley BMX Park to the east or the bridge near the Cuthbert Amphitheater to the west.

A red pin marks the location of footbridge from satellite on Google Maps.

Limited details about the project emerged Thursday, Jan. 22, during a meeting of the Whilamut Citizen Planning Committee, a joint body created by the Eugene City Council and the Willamalane Park and Recreation District.

The bridge reconstruction is part of the UO’s expansion of the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex near Autzen Stadium. University planning documents describe the bridge work as an “upgrade.”

The wooden footbridge — currently about 93 feet long and 17 feet wide — is part of a high-traffic pedestrian route used for running, kayaking access and biking. During football season, game-day crowds funnel onto the bridge, at times creating lines and waits of 20 minutes or more.

Fans stream across the wooden footbridge near Autzen Stadium after a game on Oct. 11, 2025. The photo has been edited to highlight the footbridge, which will close for an upgrade beginning Feb. 16. Credit: Sarah Lorge Butler / Lookout Eugene-Springfield

Neither the University of Oregon nor the city answered questions from Lookout Eugene-Springfield about whether the new bridge will be widened or built with different materials, or why the bridge is being replaced.

“The city and university will be sharing more information and pedestrian detour guidance as the closure date approaches,” Marion Suitor Barnes, public affairs manager for the city’s public works department, said in an email.

“Our motivation for the wait is so that community members don’t forget about the closure in the month between now and then,” she said.

Ashli Blow brings 12 years of experience in journalism and science writing, focusing on the intersection of issues that impact everyone connected to the land — whether private or public, developed or forested.