Infrastructure at a Crossroads
Oregon’s transportation system has been under mounting strain, and the warning signs have been hard to ignore. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) reported a $354 million budget shortfall for the upcoming biennium. More than half of the state’s bridges are now over 50 years old, and the ODOT’s 2024 Pavement Condition Report showed that the share of highways rated in “good” condition had fallen to the lowest level since 2001. For drivers, businesses, and communities, that decline translates into real risks: aging bridges that cannot handle modern freight demands, roads that are increasingly unsafe, and the prospect of higher costs from delayed repairs. Without new investment, Oregon faces growing safety hazards, worsening maintenance backlogs, reduced services, and rising costs for the public.

Lawmakers Convene in Special Session
Recognizing the urgency of this crisis, Governor Tina Kotek called the legislature into a special session over Labor Day weekend. Lawmakers were presented with a proposal to stabilize the system and provide long-term funding certainty. The stakes were clear—without action, deteriorating roads and bridges would place public safety at greater risk and drive up long-term costs for Oregonians.

Transportation Plan Advances
After intensive deliberations, the Oregon House approved a $5.7 billion transportation funding package to be invested over the next decade. The measure prioritizes urgent maintenance needs, begins to close ODOT’s budget gap, and supports carefully planned new projects. Final Senate action has been postponed until the week of September 29, after lawmakers delayed a scheduled September 17 vote. Legislative leaders remain confident the package will advance, though its fate is still pending. If approved, it will represent one of the largest long-term commitments to transportation funding in recent state history, placing maintenance and preservation at the forefront.

Professional Engineers Lead with Expertise
The Professional Engineers of Oregon (PEO) played a central role in moving this outcome forward, with NSPE working alongside to help amplify their advocacy. In the days leading up to the special session, PEO President Ronald F. Stillmaker, P.E., issued a statewide alert urging engineers to contact their legislators and stress that public safety had to remain the top priority.

Stillmaker also submitted timely comments to the Joint Interim Committee on Transportation Funding and wrote directly to key leaders, underscoring that deferred maintenance puts safety and reliability at risk, and that timely investment is the most cost-effective way to protect communities while avoiding greater costs in the future. PEO members hastily responded to the call by sending personalized messages and engaging directly with their elected officials, ensuring lawmakers heard from the very professionals who design, maintain, and safeguard Oregon’s infrastructure.

A Success for Engineers and the Public
Engineers’ expertise came through at a decisive moment. PEO’s advocacy helped lawmakers grasp both the immediate risks of deferred maintenance and the long-term value of steady investment. With Senate approval expected in mid-September, the transportation package is on track to deliver a significant win for Oregon’s infrastructure and a clear demonstration of the engineering profession’s role in shaping decisions that safeguard the public.