The first bridge, currently under construction, is the conversion of the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. This would connect Riverfront Park and Wallace Marine Park. This bridge will be completed around January of 2009.

The second bridge is still in the planning phase and would connect Minto Brown Island to Riverfront Park.

Minto Brown Island Park is 900 acres and houses a wildlife refuge, 13 miles of trails and an off-leash dog area. The only access for the park is off River Road.  

"One of our goals is to make a safer connection into downtown for commuters, or recreational foot and bicycle traffic," City of Salem Project Coordinator Todd Klocke said.

Overseeing the project is the citizen group Friends of Two Bridges. They are focused on the design and construction of the bridges.

The cost of the restoration of the railroad bridge and building a new bridge is an estimated 6 million dollars. To help pay for this the city has applied for Transportation

Enhancement grants offered by the state and have started a letter-writing campaign so that the community can show its support.

"We are applying for a grant from ODOT for the Minto Island Bridge; the letter writing campaign is to show support for the winning of the grant," Friends of Two Bridges associate Hazel Patton said.

She said that the more letters they receive, the better the chances of getting the grant. They are currently competing with five other cities.

The letters they have received are from local businesses and residents of Salem, all showing their support for various reasons.

"In the grander scheme of downtown Salem, linking Minto Island and the many surrounding parks to downtown will be a major step in the right direction," YMCA Executive Director Dan Crocker said in his letter.

Jim Bauer, Vice President for Administrative Services at Willamette University said in his letter that the bridges would be a symbol of Salem's connection to nature and would show the quality of life in Oregon.

The Minto Brown Island Park Bridge would connect to Riverfront Park near the Eco-Earth structure, an acid ball sculpture from the Boise paper mill. This area is considered an environmentally sensitive waterway.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality raised concerns about contaminating the area. These concerns have created the need for testing and environmental assessment.

However, everyone involved believes that the project can go forward with little environmental impact.

"We are really excited about this project and plan to have a party at the Railroad Bridge when it is completed," Patton said.