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Study on Oregon's bridge problem, its economic repercussions without investment, regional findings, key recommendations, funding updates, and lessons learned. Written in 2004 by Tara Weidner.
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OREGON ECONOMIC & BRIDGE OPTIONS STUDY The problem is not just the bridges, or the freight system, It is about Oregon’s economy and quality of life. FHWA Freight Seminars Tara Weidner, PB Consult May 19, 2004
TACKLING OREGON’S BRIDGE PROBLEM • Cost to fix over 500 cracking bridges: $4.7B • Reasons for cracking: design, age, loads • Used ODOT’s Statewide Land Use-Transport Modelto evaluate alternatives: • State & regional economy • Communities & livability • Environment • Investment strategy based on: • Bridge costs • Economic costs • Community & regional Impacts
OREGON ECONOMY2000 Production of Goods & Services • By Industry: • One third service-based • 15% Agriculture/wood, low growth • Hi-tech, concentrated high growth • By Area of the State:: • Half of state production in Portland Metro • One quarter in larger Willamette Valley • Portland end market/access to external markets
ECONOMY 2000-2025 Growth in Production of Goods & Services
WITHOUT BRIDGE INVESTMENT Industry lightens trucks, makes more trips 80,000 lb restriction impacts 30% truck tons 64,000 lb restriction impacts 90% truck tons 8-fold increase in state economic impacts Economic impact $14B in 2025, $122B over 25 years Potential employment loss of up to 88,000 by 2025 Safety & maintenance costs from trucks on local roads Increased truck miles on unsuitable roads: Local roads and city streets Restrictive roadway geometry Motor Carrier restrictions for oversize vehicles Environmentally sensitive areas
REGIONAL FINDINGS Most impacts to those already paying high shipping costs Low shipping costs decentralizes activity -- longer trips, more truck VMT Any investment improves state economy Portland is market/link to external state markets Investment location has regional consequences: Large urban areas and borders (southeast, northwest) are advantaged by restricted transportation system Rogue Valley/Southwest have bulk of cracked bridges Fixing interstates alone benefits state economy but ignores connections to central/coastal Oregon economies
OTHER KEY FINDINGS • No crisis today but immediate action necessary to avoid a future crisis • Improve routes parallel to the interstates to accommodate detoured heavy freight loads • The order in which roads are opened to heavy loads affects regional economy and livability • One deficient bridge impedes the entire corridor – ODOT shifts from worst-first to corridor approach
ODOT RECOMMENDATION • $2.5B, initial 10-year strategy to $4.7B bridge problem • Addresses detour routes before interstate construction • Over 90 percent of the statewide economic benefit of repairing all bridges • Often better livability than repairing all bridges
STAGE 1 $92M, 48 bridges
STAGE 2 $657M, 161 bridges
STAGE 3 $567M, 147 bridges
STAGE 4 $234M, 94 bridges
STAGE 5 $116M, 46 bridges
LESSONS LEARNED • Input-Output based model is a great tool for evaluating long-distance truck flows • Model is economically driven, so transport cost increases have economic and land use implications • Model quantifies economic tradeoffs and provides valuable perspective to the decision process • Integrated analysis is a good process to inform high profile policy discussions • Non-technical communication and good visualization is critical
FUNDING PACKAGE 2003 legislature approved 10 year $2.5B programOregon Transportation Investment Act (OTIA) III • $1.3 billion for state bridges • $300 million for local bridges • $361 million for local maintenance & preservation • $500 million for state modernization “The greatest investment in our transportation infrastructure since World War II" – Governor Kulongoski
PROGRAM STATUS • Environmental & Engineering baseline studies • Prepared for all OTIA III bridges - targeted completion April 2004 • Environmental regulatory compliance strategies in place • Stage 1A begun with existing funds • Targeted for construction by 2005 • 37 bridges to accommodate heavy/oversize trucks • Stage 2 construction begins in 2005, using Stage 1A as detour
PROGRAM STATUS • Program Management (PM) firm hired to manage overall OTIA III program • 91% OTIA III costs to be managed by PM Firm • 9% (42 bridges) managed by ODOT Regions • OTIA III will coordinate with other programmed projects • On-going bridge evaluation and corridor staging/prioritization
END Economic & Bridge Options Report (Dec 2002) http://www.odot.state.or.us/comm/bridge_options/index.htm Oregon Modeling Improvement Program http://www.odot.state.or.us/tddtpau/modeling.html