The last I knew (year and a half ago) that was to be a dedicated bus route that connected to what is operating in Eugene. Sorta like the dedicated right of way bus runs on now in the middle of Franklin Blvd. in Eugene. I didn't know that construction had started on it.

That was the route of a railroad built in 1890-91. In 1880 a narrow gauge railroad was started at Silverton. It went north to Woodburn and on to Rays Landing on the Willamette. At the same time it came south a mile or so west of Stayton, to Brownsville, and ended at Coburg. In 1890 it was under the control of the Southern Pacific and C. P. Huntington surveyed from Coburg to Jasper and completed the railroad to Natron as a standard gauge railroad. At the same time the narrow gauge was standard gauged.

Today that line is in operation from Natron to Springfield (UP) and from Stayton to Woodburn (Willamette Valley). What you saw was part of the route. Also, you can follow it at the curb at the north Motel 6 in Springfield/Eugene. From the the I-5 McKenzie River crossing you can see the spindly steel bridge beside I-5. About milepost 211, I-5 goes up and over what was that railroad. You can see the fence lines in both directions. It is in operation from just west of Stayton, crosses Hwy 22 near Aumsville, and ends now at Woodburn. (at the "Y" under the water tank where the steam engine is)

Just north of Stayton is some rail still in use that dates to 1891.

If you follow Pioneer Parkway as far south as you can to the present UP, you will see a lonesome deck bridge. That is the remains of a "Y" that was built in 1906 to connect with the SP at Springfield Junction.

jdb