Hwy. 126W Dedicated, Feb. 1

Family and friends gathered in Veneta Friday, Jan. 29, to honor former Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) engineer William “Bill” Tebeau, whose contributions the state went beyond his daily work. “He left a legacy at the Oregon Department of Transportation,” said ODOT Director Matt Garrett, “because his fingerprints are on the construction, the design, and the mapping discipline that we use today.” Tebeau worked for ODOT from 1948 through 1984. One of his many projects was analyzing the drainage through the area along OR 126 West with the construction of Fern Ridge Reservoir. His hydraulic analysis was instrumental in the building of the Siuslaw River Bridge. In addition to his work at ODOT, Tebeau was a part-time instructor at Chemeketa Community College, where he was awarded “Teacher of the Year” in 1970. He continued to teach and inspire engineers after his retirement from ODOT. Tebeau died July 5, 2013 at the age of 87. Travelers will see new brown signs reading ‘William “Bill” Tebeau Memorial Highway’ on OR 126 West (Florence –Eugene Highway) in two locations, one eastbound and the other westbound. The designation was made under Senate Bill 5, adopted by the 2015 Oregon Legislature. This designation does not change the official name of the highway.