There Will Still Be Some Snarls On Pullman Bridge But Just From Cougar Statues; Widening Job Has Eased Traffic

Fri., July 26, 1996

Eric Sorensen Staff writer

After more than half a century outdoors, four concrete cougars were worn down to what one official called “large, weathered chipmunks.”

And when Don Rodgers first took a crack at them, they looked worse. The Spokane sculptor broke their noses and blasted away their eyes, leaving an amorphous block from which to resurrect this college town’s notion of public art: bridge ornaments in the shape of Butch, the Washington State University mascot.

Rodgers then added a layer of epoxy-bonded cement and sculpted new, streamlined Butches that were unveiled Thursday before a small squadron of dignitaries.

The ceremony officially reopened the Main Street viaduct, which WSU President Sam Smith referred to as “the front door to Washington State University.” The $7 million project widened the bridge to four lanes while widening and straightening the roadway east of the Moscow-Pullman Highway.

The work was aimed at solving traffic problems and safety concerns, but not without some headaches, acknowledged Jerry Lenzi, eastern region administrator for the state Department of Transportation.

“It also did its best over two seasons to aggravate the Cougar football fans getting in and out of here,” he said. “We apologize for that.”

Al Gilson, a DOT spokesman, said the final bill has not yet been calculated for the project, which ran a year behind schedule and was several hundred thousand dollars over budget last fall.

The original bridge was built in 1939 for $275,000, with the four cougar statues - one at each side at each end - included in the cost.

Rodgers - who co-sculpted the official Elvis bust at Graceland and rebuilt the bison heads on Spokane’s Monroe Street Bridge - spent two long weeks rebuilding the two cougars unveiled Thursday. He is still working on the remaining two.

Unlike their predecessors, the new Butches have built-up eyebrows and perked-up ears that give them a more prominent, aggressive look.

“It’s got more muscle tone,” said Rodgers. “It didn’t have muscle tone before.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

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