The Oregon Department of Transportation announced Thursday morning that a road preservation project scheduled to begin Monday on Highway 34 between Philomath and Alsea has been canceled “due to ongoing funding challenges.”
The multi-phase operation involved the application of a chip-seal coating to the roadway, a treatment designed to protect and extend the highway’s lifespan while providing a smoother driving surface.
“ODOT is experiencing a significant and immediate funding shortfall that is resulting in staff layoffs and reduced capacity across the agency,” ODOT said through a news release. “Without legislative action to provide new revenue or flexibility in spending, ODOT is making deep cuts and laying off hundreds of people to stay within its budget.”
As reported by Oregon Capital Chronicle, ODOT Director Kris Strickler said last weekend that the agency plans to lay off up to 700 employees as soon as the week of July 7. Strickler’s comments came in the aftermath of the State Legislature’s inability to pass a transportation funding bill that the department needed to maintain staff and close a $300 million-plus shortfall.
“We will continue to do everything possible to prioritize safety and minimize disruptions, but we ask for your understanding and patience as we work through these unprecedented constraints,” ODOT wrote.
If ODOT had not been burdened with removing homeless encampments on or near ODOT property their budget would be fine. The cities and counties that made ODOT remove encampments, when the housing and homeless crisis is not an ODOT problem. Oregon department of transportation, I don’t see where that includes homeless encampment removal in any way shape or form. Our elected officials must not drive on the same pothole field roads as the rest of us.
Cry me a river odot waste of money is the cause, not your over budget waste, cause be the democrats demand to be a sanctuary dumping grounds for public clean up of crap, you let happen.
A $14 billion dollar transportation packet was a ridiculous amount. Oregon has so many taxes already that it’s hard to keep up with. You never seem to cut common sense waste and abuse and you will never have enough money to do what is actually needed until you do. THANKS to EVERYONE who tanked that bill!
Wouldn’t be a challenge if the idiots didn’t waste $100 million on a Coos Bay container terminal that will NEVER be built!! Just goes to show Boshart-Davis and the rest of Oregon politicians have their heads up their rectum!!
You are silly. Shipping and rail are way more important than road maintenance. And will actually grow the economy, rather than burden it with taxes.
Less to Portland, more to coos bay!!!!
Stop the $8 million dollar round-about project on hwy 62 Eagle point and install merge lane on north bound 62 instead.
They didn’t cancel the $9M bicycle pedestrian bridge over hwy 30, which has a $6M budget shortfall.
This may be why legislature didn’t pass funding.
Priorities…we have 2nd highest taxes in nation. Our roads should be in decent condition, but they are not.
Why do they need money when they can’t prioritize spending where it should be.
Seems to me that Oregon has an issue with ODOT and voting. It’s obvious that too many people now suffer from God Syndrome. Either that or TDS. Vote them out and call it good!
Governor Korek makes sure the important things are prioritized! Now if we can just find a team that wants to actually relocate to a stadium they are intentionally creating with limited parking……..
https://www.koin.com/news/portland/kotek-signs-bill-bringing-portland-a-step-closer-to-an-mlb-stadium/
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/06/17/oregon-lawmakers-pass-dollar800-million-bill-for-portland-mlb-stadium/
Turn it back to a dirt road with potholes. Less tourists, they can take hwy 20. I heard that one cost taxpayers a pretty shiny penny.