Oregon Department of Transportation

Maintaining our transportation system is something most people can agree governments should do. But governments across the US are cutting back on maintenance. Why is that? Watch this video to learn how transportation agencies are grappling with flattening and declining fuels tax revenues, increasing inflation, and legal restrictions on available funding. It also outlines possible solutions to better maintain our transportation system and keep travelers safe. As Oregon lawmakers explore solutions, they are also seeking community guidance as they plan a 2025 transportation package. How would you like Oregon to maintain a safe, accessible and reliable multimodal transportation system for years to come? Today, the Oregon Legislature's Joint Committee on Transportation is kicking off their 12-stop Transportation Safety and Sustainability Outreach Tour in Portland. To learn more about this tour check out this release from the joint committee: https://bit.ly/4c6djr7

Take a tour of the work being done on the Aurora-Donald Interchange at Exit 278 of I-5. We're making progress, work has begun building the new bridge in the center median between the north and southbound lanes. Speed is reduced in the work zone, so slow down and use caution when driving through the area! Learn more about the project on our website: https://bit.ly/4eS1XZN

We’re making major strides on our Van Buren Bridge project! The new bridge is on schedule, with impressive work happening behind the scenes that's set to make a huge impact for years to come. So what's been happening at the work site? Let’s start with the support pillars: The new Van Buren Bridge will have eight massive concrete pillars—four shallow and four deep—that are built to handle today’s traffic and stand strong through earthquakes. While the bridge's shallow pillars go about 70 feet deep into the ground, the deep ones are in the water, reaching from 220 to 245 feet down to hit solid rock. That’s almost as tall as the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, these pillars use nearly 500,000 pounds of rebar and hundreds of cubic yards of concrete providing a solid foundation for this bridge's future. In comparison, the old Van Buren Bridge (built back in 1930), didn't include any steel in its concrete supports resulting in weight restrictions that limited its utility. With the new bridge being built to handle way more weight—fire trucks and school buses will finally be able to cross. Additionally, design updates will allow for movement during an earthquake without getting damaged. This is possible through special expansion joints that let the bridge shift over a foot lengthwise and up to 10 inches side-to-side. We’ve already hit some huge milestones with the temporary bridges finished and the deep foundation shafts - one of the trickiest parts of the project - completed without significant delays. What’s next? Now it's time to form the backbone of the bridge by installing steel girders. Once those are in place, you’ll start seeing even more visible progress as the bridge starts to take shape. But most importantly, this project is more than just a bridge. It signifies a huge upgrade for Corvallis that will keep our community safe and connected for decades to come. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue making progress on this modern engineering marvel!

The big show (winter season) is coming quick! After our first class of High School to Highway maintenance trainees spent their summer learning the trade along experienced crew leaders in maintenance and construction, this fall they continue to advance their skills to prepare for winter's arrival. What have they learned so far? They've been preparing for, or obtaining their CDL permits, working with a variety of heavy equipment ranging from mowers, to loaders, excavators, our ever-versatile 10-yard trucks and even snowplows. They've also tackled flagging operations, pavement patching, guardrail repair, safety trainings like CPR, work zone safety and safe chainsaw operations and many other skills. Hayden, featured in this video, has obtained his CDL (congrats!) and has been helping the Bend crew with pothole patching, site post repairs and prepping for winter by placing snow poles on OR 372 leading up to Mt. Bachelor. He's also transitioning from summer to winter operations by assisting crews in setting up their snowplows, sanders, mag truck distributors and a variety of our other equipment that will be put to good use all winter long. Recent high school graduates like Hayden, get on-the-job training through our High School to Highway program repairing and preserving roadways, bridges, structures and facilities. It’s a rare opportunity for young adults to have a true entry-level position with little, or no previous experience while getting paid for for their full-time work. Once their year of training is complete next summer, they’ll have the skills and experience needed to meet the requirements for a Transportation Maintenance Specialist 2 role, and can apply for a permanent position - a great way to kick start a rewarding and hands-on career serving Oregon's communities. #OnTheJobTraining #Maintenance #EntryLevelJobs #WinterIsComing #OregonDOT

Join our team and contribute to climate efforts as a technical expert in the transportation field! As a Senior Transportation Analyst in Salem, you'll drive innovative modeling and planning analysis, such as using travel demand models to calculate vehicle miles traveled. Apply today to support our agency’s climate efforts and contribute to the cutting-edge of an emerging technical field! Learn more and apply by Oct. 28: https://bit.ly/3U1GTY9 #Transportation #OregonDOT #ClimateAnalysis #NowHiring

Do you have independent mechanical experience working on medium, heavy-duty or power generation equipment? Join our team as a field technician where you will perform all phases of diagnosis and repair on highway maintenance and construction equipment. Apply today to help ensure the safety of our operators and traveling public! We are hiring for multiple positions! Learn more and apply by: Oct. 29 for our Central Point position: https://bit.ly/48atFy6 Oct. 30 for our Burns position: https://bit.ly/48atFOC #NowHiring #Mechanic #Transportation #OregonDOT

Join us as a Highway Maintenance Specialist! In this role, you will help keep Oregon’s roads safe for travelers. As part of our team, you will operate equipment necessary to maintain and repair roadways, highways, bridges and structures. Apply today! Some locations have state owned housing that may be available at a reduced cost, details are in the job posting. Apply by Oct. 24 for Santiam Junction: https://bit.ly/3YowckV Apply by Oct. 28 for Santiam Junction: https://bit.ly/48pIfCh Apply by Oct. 30 for Eugene: https://bit.ly/401dDVm Apply by Oct. 31 for our Seasonal Santiam Junction: https://bit.ly/3UbGG4Z Apply by Nov. 4 for our Seasonal Detroit: https://bit.ly/3Y6Gxkb Apply by Nov. 4 for our Split Salem-Detroit: https://bit.ly/4h32dX7 #OregonDOT #Transportation #Construction #NowHiring

A nod to the past, present and future provided the backdrop during the dedication of our new bridge over the South Yamhill River from OR 18 to Three Mile Lane in McMinnville. Project staff, construction crews and county leaders gathered yesterday to thank the community for their patience and support following three years of work to replace the original 1951 wooden bridge structure with its new steel and concrete span. Originally 35 feet wide, the 48 foot widened bridge can now better safely accommodate commercial traffic, pedestrians and cyclists. The bridge is a vital link between McMinnville and OR 18 southeast of the city that carries an average 16,000 vehicles per day, along with growing use by people walking and biking. Because this is a busy route, we built a temporary bridge to carry traffic before demolishing the original bridge. This also feeds into one of the most common questions we’ve heard on this project - why is construction three years? The answer is the project team built three bridges and we removed three bridges. A complete detour was built on the west side to get traffic off the alignment so we could demo the original bridge, and then they built a complete work bridge structure on the east side that was stout enough to support all the cranes and equipment. The new bridge was ready for traffic last fall, but after this year’s removal of the detour and construction bridges, the last step in the project is restoration of the riverbank, including seeding. That work has begun, and landscape work will likely continue into early next year.

 "I’ve got a job with a mission I can feel good about every day.” ~Ken Oke Congrats Ken! We're extremely proud that he's been recognized as a champion in the fight against human trafficking. Learn more about how he integrates anti-trafficking education and awareness into his role and how his previous experience in Motor Carrier Safety and Compliance has shaped his partnerships and understanding of the work it takes to be a truck driver. We hope you are as inspired by this profile as we are! 💙 #Trucking #TruckersAgainstTrafficking #MissionDriven #EmployeeSpotlight #OregonDOT

Looking to make a real difference in climate change by reducing emissions from the transportation sector? Consider joining our team as a Climate Specialist in Salem! You could be key in helping transition public transit to zero emissions and integrating climate mitigation and resiliency into our Public Transportation Division's policies and public transportation related projects. Make an impact on Oregon's future! Learn more and apply by Oct. 23: https://bit.ly/4exu4Nn #ClimateChange #OregonDOT #SustainableTransportation #EmissionsPolicy