Umatilla Pedestrian Bridge wins award
By Terry Murry on Thursday, February 5th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
UMATILLA – The city of Umatilla has won the 2026 Honor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon (ACEC) for its pedestrian bridge across the Umatilla River. It was praised for its “outstanding engineering achievements, that demonstrate innovation, technical complexity, and meaningful public value.
The old bridge was destroyed in the floods of 2019 and 2020. The new bridge opened in December 2024 linking pedestrians and bicyclists from the South Hill to downtown.
“This connection was about more than replacing a structure,” Public Works Director Scott Coleman said. “It was about rebuilding a vital link for our residents. The new bridge improves safety, accessibility, and resilience; and we’re proud of the lasting benefit it provides to our community.”
The project cost more than $6.6 million. Most of that came from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The city of Umatilla invested $1.1 million and additional support was received with a Business Oregon public works grant.
The city partnered with J-U-B ENGINEERS, Inc. on the project. The structure was manufactured by Bridge Brothers of Pickens, South Carolina. Installation was completed by Legacy Contracting, Inc. of Stayton. In addition to the bridge, a new water main and other utility infrastructure that were damaged by the floods were installed.
Photo provided by the city of Umatilla
