The state has 61 deficient bridges.
BY JACOB PALMER | DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
The state has 61 deficient bridges and that number will jump significantly in 2020.
Between 79- and 86- percent of bridges in Oregon are categorized as “distressed.”
Because ODOT will continue to repay bonds issued for the earlier bridge work through 2035, the agency will have only $58 million annually on hand instead of the $240 million annually it needs for bridge repairs and replacements.
“At this pace it would take us 900 years to address the (bridge) needs we have in this state,” says Paul Mather, Highway Division administrator.
(SOURCE: Portland Tribune)
The problem could be especially costly in Central Oregon.
Oregon stands to lose nearly $100 billion in economic production by 2035 unless the state changes course and puts a substantial amount of money toward upgrading many of its thousands of highway bridges, according to a report released Thursday by the Oregon Department of Transportation.
While Central Oregon has fewer state-maintained highway bridges than other regions, two bridges in Crook County are structurally deficient and in need of repair based on federal standards, the report said.
(SOURCE: Bend Bulletin)
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