ODOT reverses winter road maintenance cuts after $19 million commitment from Gov. Kotek, legislative leaders

(Update: Adding video, comments from ODOT regional representative)

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Governor Tina Kotek, Senate President Rob Wagner and House Speaker Dan Rayfield jointly announced Monday a $19 million commitment to the Oregon Department of Transportation to help restore curtailed winter maintenance, make safety-focused improvements and purchase new trucks used for snow plowing.

"This money is a one-time funding of $19 million, which means it'll help us through this winter and next winter," ODOT Region 4 (Central Oregon region) Public Information Officer Kacey Davey said Tuesday.

Due to looming shortfalls in the State Highway Fund, record levels of inflation and limitations on budgeted agency funds, ODOT began implementing significant service reductions within maintenance and operations this biennium, sparking concerns among many Oregonians, including local elected officials.

Davey said the new funding "means more time that our snow plows and emergency responders can spend out on the roads."

The following represents a breakdown of how ODOT intends to utilize the $19 million:

Winter Maintenance

$8 million will restore essential winter maintenance efforts for the duration of the 2023-25 biennium, including materials purchases (i.e. deicer and salt) and removal of the overtime restriction currently in place. This will allow staff to better maintain that level of service during peak winter events and provide continuity of service through the biennium.

Road, Bridge and Traffic Maintenance 

$7 million will be used to make safety-focused improvements on the highway system in the following areas:

• $4.5 million to patch pavements and fix potholes throughout the state, especially each spring/summer after the winter freeze and thaw cycle severely impacts many areas with relatively poor pavement conditions.
• $2.5 million to allow the retracing of edge lines on low volume highways starting in spring 2024 – a practice the agency previously paused this year.

Fleet, Fuel, Materials and Supplies

$4 million to replace 10 trucks primarily used for snow plowing. ODOT has approximately 400 of these trucks, many of them beyond service life, which leads to higher repair costs and reduced reliability during winter operations. The extensive lead time for ordering and purchasing these trucks will ensure their delivery for next winter.

ODOT cited a declining drop in gas tax revenue as the reason they began implementing service reductions, sparking concern among Oregon drivers. "Some of those cuts included things like less plows on the road, we we're holding positions so we had less staff, like materials. There were different things that we had to do to make sure we could keep funding the system" Davey explained.

One road ODOT previously said they wouldn't have the funds to maintain was Crescent Cutoff Road, where a bus carrying Bend-La Pine students flipped over after hitting black ice last month.

From July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023, ODOT spent $4.6 million statewide doing work related to sweeping homeless camps along state highways.

Kotek and the legislative leaders said in their announcement that the newly committed funding will help prevent unsafe conditions for Oregonians using state roads and allow staff to better maintain their level of service during peak winter events.

“Oregon needs to have safe state highways,” the governor said. “I am committed to finding long-term solutions that ensure our state roads and highways are meeting the needs of Oregon families, businesses, and visitors. In the meantime, I greatly appreciate Senate President Wagner and House Speaker Rayfield for prioritizing this funding now so that Oregonians can have safer road conditions this winter.”

“Whether it's July or January, Oregonians need to be able to travel safely on our highways,” President Wagner (D-Lake Oswego) said. “This commitment from myself and Speaker Rayfield — in coordination with our budget co-chairs — guarantees critical funding to keep Oregonians safe throughout the year.”

“It’s critical that all Oregonians have a safe, reliable transportation system to get to work, school, and play,” Speaker Rayfield (D-Corvallis) said. “Thanks to the work our transportation and budget leaders have invested to understand the safety and functional needs of our communities, we are able to ensure a safe winter season and ultimately, a more sustainable, equitable system.”

A letter from Senate President Wagner and House Speaker Rayfield to Governor Kotek committing to the funding can be found here.