Projects are a ‘go’
State commission decision will trigger infusion of funds to areas like Malheur County

By Larry Meyer
Argus Observer
Wednesday, October 28, 2009 10:07 AM PDT

While the Oregon Department of Transportation is gearing up for new projects, the resurfaced Nyssa underpass will be the location of a ribbon-cutting to mark the completion of that project.

ONTARIO — With no ballot measure filed to challenge the boost in the Oregon gas tax and a vehicle registration fee hike, the Oregon Transportation Commission moved ahead and approved 14 road and bridge projects in the eight counties that make up the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Region 5, including Malheur County.

The green light from the Oregon Transportation Commission will translate into a $45.8 million investment in Region 5.

With this approval, the projects will be included in the 2010-2013 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, which will be up for public review within the next month. The timelines for construction on these projects is not known.

Out of that amount, Malheur County has been allocated $5.8 million for replacement of the Northwest 36th Street Bridge, near Ontario, plus funds for an overlay of Lytle Boulevard and rehabilitation of Glen Street in Vale. Ontario has been allocated $1.2 million for improvements along East Idaho Avenue, and Nyssa is to receive $1 million for reconstruction of Locust Avenue, from U.S. Highway 20-26 to Third Street, and improvements to Third Street.

“Basically, we would like to do the bridge first, so we can see how much money we have left,” Malheur County Engineer Jim Kimberling said.

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Kimberling said the bridge will be lengthened.

“We’re going to increase the size of the opening (of the bridge).” Kimberling said.

He said he would like to have a wider bridge. 

“We don’t know yet how they (ODOT) are going to administer the money,” Kimberling said, whether money comes to the county and the cities, or ODOT is billed for the work on the projects.

He will also be talking with ODOT and consultants about the design process, Kimberling said.

The funding for these projects was part of House Bill 2001, which included a $900 million bond.

As a member of the joint Oregon House and Senate Subcommittee — created to review and craft a transportation bill and consider allocation of the  bond money — Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario, secured $70 million to $80 million for Region 5 to make sure it received the proper proportion of funding in relationship to other counties.

Some of projects have yet to be identified, he said.

The 6-cent increase in the gas tax will go into effect after two quarters of positive growth or by January 2011, Bentz said.

This is the first increase in the tax in 18 years, a reflection of a 24 percent increase, compared to an inflation increase of about 40 percent and asphalt costs that have gone up about 200 percent, he said.

Because of the downturn in the economy, the public involvement process of the State Transportation Improvement plan was put on hold until it was determined, among other things, how much money there would be.

Tom Strandberg, ODOT Region 5 spokesperson, said with the near completion of the underpass project in Nyssa, to control groundwater and improve drainage, a ribbon-cutting ceremony is being planned, with date and time to be announced.