The Oregon Department of Transportation says the condition of the state’s roads is worsening, but there’s not enough money to maintain them.
ODOT’s annual pavement report shows just under 90% of highways are in fair or better condition. The roads that are not major interstates are the ones that get the least maintenance.
“So I-5, I-84, we have Federal requirements that those roads be in very top condition, and if they're not, then we have to take all of our available funding and only focus on those roads,” said ODOT spokesperson Kacey Davey. “So, while those roads are doing pretty good, the amount of money we have, a lot of it's going to those interstates.
Davey told KLCC the agency's budget for pavement preservation hasn’t gone up in nearly 25 years.
“So you know, we had $100 million a year in 2001,” she said. “And that's still what we have 25 years later, and with inflation and the costs and everything, it's not enough for us to be able to maintain pavement to the high standards that Oregonians expect.”
Davey said ODOT is seeking more funding from the legislature.
She said Oregon drivers can help with keeping roads from getting worse, including changing their winter weather tires.
“Consider getting tires that aren't studded,” she said. “So there's a lot of great alternatives, you know. You can have different traction devices or studless snow tires are a great option, and are actually going to perform a lot better than studded tires in most situations. So that's one thing that folks can do to help out.”
According to a 2014 study, studded tires cause roughly $8.5 million in damage to Oregon highways each year.
The seasonal deadline for Oregonians to remove their studded tires is Monday, March 31.
