PROGRAM - FAQS
The who, what, when, where, and why of the Oregon Department of Transportation's OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program.
NOTE This content is owned and provided by the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Who is OBDP?
What is OTIA III?
What is the consequence of not fixing Oregon’s bridges?
How will the state finance a public investment of this size?
Who will do the bridge repair work?
What is the timeline to replace the bridges?
Will all this construction cause traffic disruptions?
How will OTIA III spark Oregon’s economy?
What kind of economic opportunities will OTIA III create for Oregon?
How will ODOT design and replace so many major bridges in a single decade?
Will local communities have a say in how their bridges are repaired or replaced?
Is ODOT looking for other funding?
Who is OBDP?
Oregon Bridge Delivery Partners (OBDP), a joint venture of HDR and Fluor, is under contract to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and its Highway Division to accelerate the completion and manage the quality of projects in the OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program.
What is OTIA III?
OTIA III is the third Oregon Transportation Investment Act. Enacted by the 2003 Legislature, the $2.46 billion OTIA III allocates $1.3 billion to repair or replace hundreds of aging state highway bridges. This work will be accomplished during the next eight to 10 years by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) with its OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program.
OTIA III also provides additional millions for work on county and city bridges, local road maintenance and paving, and new lanes and interchanges on Oregon’s highways.
What is the consequence of not fixing Oregon’s bridges?
Weight limits on Oregon’s aging bridges would become common. The potential cost to Oregon’s economy is estimated at $123 billion in lost production and 88,000 lost jobs in the next 25 years.
How will the state finance a public investment of this size?
OTIA III uses revenues from increased motor vehicle and trucking fees to finance $2.46 billion in transportation projects. It builds on OTIA I and II, which provide a combined $500 million for projects throughout the state. The OTIA III breakdown is:
- $1.3 billion in bonds to repair or replace aging state highway bridges.
- $300 million in bonds to repair or replace aging local bridges.
- $361 million for county and city highway maintenance.
- $500 million for highway modernization work statewide.
Who will do the bridge repair work?
ODOT is outsourcing the bridge repair and replacement work and the jobs it creates directly to Oregon’s engineering and construction industry.
ODOT is ultimately responsible for the delivery of the bridge program. To achieve successful delivery of the program, ODOT contracted with a newly formed Oregon company—Oregon Bridge Delivery Partners—to help manage the $1.3 billion program. ODOT’s OTIA III Bridge Delivery Unit is responsible for the oversight of the bridge program and the program management firm.
Oregon Bridge Delivery Partners will contract with engineering firms to conduct the design aspects of the projects. Construction contracts for the bridge repairs and replacements will be directly with ODOT and managed by the Bridge Delivery Unit through the program management firm.
What is the timeline to replace the bridges?
The life of the bridge program is expected to be eight to 10 years. Bridge repairs and replacements will happen in five stages while keeping commerce flowing throughout key freight corridors—especially along Interstate 5 and Interstate 84. The bridge program is planned to keep traffic moving and to reduce any adverse economic effects on local businesses and communities.
Will all this construction cause traffic disruptions?
At times, delays or detours can’t be avoided—that’s the nature of major bridge and highway construction. A top priority for ODOT is to manage the construction in a way that keeps traffic and freight moving during the bridge work. ODOT will use the web, TripCheck.com and 511, and variable message signs to keep drivers informed about construction work and traffic.
How will OTIA III spark Oregon’s economy?
The OTIA program will support 5,000 family-wage jobs during the next eight to 10 years. ODOT will build a strong foundation for continued economic growth by maximizing opportunities for Oregon design and construction contractors to compete for the bridge work.
ODOT will efficiently size and time the purchase of materials and equipment to provide maximum opportunities for Oregon suppliers. The economic benefit will ripple throughout the state to related businesses such as hotels, eateries, grocery stores, and other businesses patronized by construction workers. Wherever highway construction work happens, money flows into Oregon’s economy.
What kind of economic opportunities will OTIA III create for Oregon?
By developing a range of contract sizes, ODOT will give Oregon contractors—including women, minorities, and emerging small businesses—opportunities to compete more effectively with larger national firms.
ODOT will employ additional strategies to maximize the participation of women, minorities, and emerging small businesses in the bridge program. ODOT also will promote apprenticeship and job training programs to help build a skilled, sustainable workforce.
How will ODOT design and replace so many major bridges in a single decade?
ODOT will group, or “bundle,” the projects into contract sizes that promote efficiency and use a variety of effective practices to speed construction work. At the same time, ODOT will work to tightly control and reduce design and construction costs for each project.
The key to success is to “Get in, get the job built, and get out,” in order to reduce any adverse effects that construction work zones might have on traffic flow, commerce, and communities.
Will local communities have a say in how their bridges are repaired or replaced?
Yes. A new decision-making framework called Context Sensitive and Sustainable Solutions, or CS3, will directly involve citizens and all stakeholders in key decision-making. CS3 is community values shaping a new generation of bridges.
CS3 will ensure that the bridge repair work is done in ways that are sensitive to the environment that makes Oregon’s communities such special places. An example of CS3 is traffic management coordination at state, corridor, and local levels to reduce construction traffic and adverse economic effects that come with big highway projects.
Is ODOT looking for other funding?
Yes. A program goal is to leverage OTIA III funds to do more work without spending more dollars.
ODOT has asked Congress to help fund some of Oregon’s bridge repairs on interstate highways that are critical to commerce along the entire West Coast. By leveraging other funds, OTIA could be expanded to tackle more improvements.