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| Bridge re-inspections show no new problems or safety issues |
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ODOT delivered a final report to Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski in late August on the re-inspection of all but one of the Oregon bridges of a similar nature to the bridge that collapsed Aug. 1, 2007, in Minneapolis.
- There are 46 bridges or bridge segments that have steel deck trusses — making them similar to the Interstate 35W bridge in Minnesota.
- ODOT completed all inspections except for the Sellwood Bridge in Multnomah County, which is currently scheduled to be inspected September 9, 2007.
- The results show:
- minor fatigue cracking (due to normal wear and tear)
- moderate to severe paint failure (bridge needs painting)
- minor corrosion of steel members (some rust is present)
- various levels of bridge deck wear (ruts and rough spots)
- The re-inspections found no imminent safety issues.
- Previous inspections had already documented all of these findings; nothing is new.
“We’re pleased to report that the re-inspections have found nothing outside of the ordinary wear and tear expected of bridges as they age,” said Matthew Garrett, ODOT director. “As we expected, we have found nothing that compromises the safety of these bridges.”
ODOT has been addressing Oregon’s aging bridges for six years through the legislatively-approved Oregon Transportation Investment Act. OTIA I, II and III provide almost $3 billion to repair or replace about 500 state-, city- and county-owned bridges, pave and maintain city and county roads, improve and expand interchanges, add new capacity to Oregon’s highway system and remove freight bottlenecks statewide.
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| TripCheck.com goes mobile |
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Oregon motorists already know how valuable the road condition and incident Web site, TripCheck.com is. Now, it's easy to access from mobile communication units, such as cellular phones and Blackberries. Users can surf to the site and find:
- Traffic alerts, road closures
- Incident information, including shots from cameras within three miles of the incident
- Road and weather conditions
- Traveler services, such as hotels, restaurants and attractions, with direct links to phone numbers
- Cameras, including the ability to create a "camera favorites" page
The site also includes the Portland speed map. Give it a try!
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| New path provides vital link |
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| The new Ki-A-Kuts Bridge links three parks. |
The new Ki-A-Kuts Bridge over the Tualatin River is a critical component of the Portland Metro area’s regional trails system. The trails system will eventually link existing and future trails east and west of the Willamette River.
Named after a highly respected 1850s leader of the Atfalati band of the Kalapuyan Tribe, the Ki-A-Kuts Bridge connects the cities of Tualatin, Tigard and Durham in Washington County. In addition, it provides users with a safe and scenic place to ride and walk.
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| ODOT and Oregon small businesses: a working partnership! |
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Oregon state-certified emerging small businesses got a boost from ODOT in the 2005-2007 biennia. The department awarded 86 contracts to certified firms worth more than $2.4 million. Those funds, awarded exclusively to Oregon companies, cycle through our economy, according to chamber of commerce sources, some three to six times. This program helps not only small business, but the overall economy as well.
And that’s not the only good news for Oregon small businesses. In recent years, ODOT has laid the groundwork for growing its small business program. In 2007 – 2008, we’re implementing a comprehensive plan to increase economic opportunities for Oregon workers and businesses by boosting participation in transportation projects.
Several components make up the agency’s overall plan:
- Workforce Development Plan, focusing on individual workers
- Small Business Opportunities Outreach through the OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program, focusing on design and construction
- Small Business Initiative, focuses on contracting in two main areas:
- Professional and technical services
- Construction
Under ODOT’s Small Business Initiative, the agency has developed the Small Contracting Program for Professional and Technical Services to increase the number of small businesses that are awarded ODOT contracts. Initially implemented through a successful pilot program in ODOT’s Region 1, the Portland metropolitan area, the program is launching statewide in the fall of 2007.
A simplified procurement process registers firms to participate in the program and have the opportunity to be selected as prime contractors for ODOT contracts valued at $74,990 annually or less. The selection process gives preference to firms that have no existing contracts as a prime with ODOT, while continuing to use qualification-based criteria.
A Request for Qualifications to participate in the program is posted on ORPIN, the Oregon Procurement Information Network web site, at http://orpin.oregon.gov. The RFQ consists of a short registration form that requests basic information about the firm, its employees and its experience.
Firms may register by completing the RFQ process at any time to be included in the selection pool for future program contract awards.
For more information about the Small Contracting Program for Professional and Technical Services, visit ODOT’s Office of Civil Rights’ Small Business Support Web site. Visit the State of Oregon’s contracting and procurement Web site, or call ODOT’s Procurement Office at (503) 731-3254 to request a copy of the RFQ materials.
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| Another way to fight DUII |
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| The interior of the Mobile DUII processing center. |
ODOT’s Transportation Safety Division joined with the Oregon State Police in August to launch the latest tool in the fight against impaired driving. It’s the new Mobile DUII Processing Center, or MDPC, a 2007 36-foot Winnebago Voyage motor home retrofitted with:
- three Intoxilyzer 8000s;
- three work stations with laptops and printers;
- two temporary holding cells;
- emergency supplies; and
- cell phone and radio communications equipment.
The MDPC cost $171,000 and is available for use by any law enforcement agency in the state. In September, it made appearances at the Paulina Rodeo and Oktoberfest in Mt. Angel.
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| By the numbers |
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Motor Carrier
Motor Carrier Transportation staff kept busy in the second quarter of 2007, generating the following:
Registration fees collected
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$ 3,065,609
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Weight mile taxes collected
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$60,189,086
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Weight mile tax audits performed
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185
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Unpaid taxes assessed
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$ 1,554,836
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Total truck and driver inspections
By MCTD staff
By law enforcement officers
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10,053
4,649
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Total trucks placed out-of-service
By MCTD staff
By law enforcement officers
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2.918
518
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Total drivers placed out-of-service
By MCTD staff
By law enforcement officers
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1,383
519
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Trucks weighed on static scales
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578,616
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Trucks precleared by Green Light weigh-in-motion
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371,009
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Citations issued
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5,670
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Warnings issued
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5,565
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Trucks required to correct size and/or weight
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92513
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Driver and Motor Vehicles
DMV staff performed the following activities during the second quarter of 2007:
Noncommercial driver licenses
Issued
Renewed
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34,151
76,750
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Commercial driver licenses
Issued
Renewed
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1,972
4,312
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Vehicle titles issued
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295,983
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On-the-road skills test (Class C)
Noncommercial
Commercial
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24,892
560
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Class C knowledge tests
Noncommercial
Commercial
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66,563
2,718
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Driver record requests processed
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603,257
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Vehicle record requests processed
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204,523
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Customer telephone calls received
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443,177
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Dealer inspections conducted
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295
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Number of complaint investigations completed
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149
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Passenger Rail and Rail Freight
During the second quarter of 2007, ODOT's Rail Safety Section conducted the following inspections:
Locomotives and rail cars
Defects found
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3,640
890
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Miles of track
Turnouts
Defects found
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611
493
481
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Grade crossing records
Defects found
Grade crossing signals
Defects found
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113
21
37
22
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Hazardous materials
Defects found
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78
25
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Operating practices observations
Deviations found
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43
8
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Railroad facilities
Defects found
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15
76
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Rail-served industries
Defects found
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152
78
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Crossing safety
Defects found
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345
210
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Highway Maintenance
Here's how Maintenance Crews cared for Oregon's state roads during second quarter 2007:
Tons asphalt laid
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26,457
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# Highway miles striped
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5,574
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# Feet guardrail installed/repaired
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10,335
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Spent on emergency maintenance
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$2,550,093
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Spent on sanding
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$ 602,123
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Spent on bridge maintenance/repair
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$1,069,652
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