Eugene City leaders say despite disruptions in the construction industry, they’ve managed to complete dozens of voter-approved street projects.
In an annual street bond update Wednesday, Eugene Public Works program manager Katie Marwitz said the city had completed 10 to 20 projects a year from the 2017 street bond list.
The city had committed to using the bond funds to repair 91 streets. Eugene’s on track to finish the vast majority of those promised repairs by the end of this year.
Marwitz said some projects, especially downtown, have unexpectedly overlapped and are expected to cost about $2 million more than anticipated.
She said disruptions worsened during the pandemic have continued to be an issue.
“Material availability and supply chain issues have been a really big deal,” she said. “Specifically for electrical items, so that's the big signal poles, the traffic signals themselves, and the traffic signal cabinets. … We're looking at ways that we can potentially deliver projects a little bit differently, potentially bring in the contractors sooner, so we can start those long lead time items, and start the procurement process earlier.”
The city may need to look at grants or other city funds to cover any cost overruns caused by supply chain issues or delays.
She said a recently completed assessment shows more than 60 percent of Eugene’s streets are now in very good, or excellent condition. The city also did well in its annual audit of how it spends street bond funds.
