Oregon's Bridge-Delivery Program

In response to evidence that many of Oregon's bridges were weakening, the Oregon Legislature in 2003 approved $1.3 billion for the repair and replacement of bridges on the state highway system. This article describes the Oregon Department of Transportation's State Bridge Delivery Program, which will use this funding to repair or replace hundreds of bridges on major corridors throughout Oregon. A private company has been hired to assist in managing this massive program, which will be conducted in stages over a 10-year period. One of the key legislative mandates of the bridge program is to stimulate Oregon's economy by creating job and contracting opportunities, especially for Oregonians and Oregon-based companies. Over the life of the 10-year program, it will sustain an average of 2,500 jobs each year. Another important part of the program is ensuring that communities affected by construction projects have opportunity to provide input into the design and construction of bridges. A new collaborative framework called Context Sensitive and Sustainable Solutions has been developed to aid this process.