ODOT's Fix-It Program uses data and expertise to pick the best projects

Keeping the transportation system in good condition is a top priority for the Oregon Department of Transportation and the public consistently ranks it at the top of its transportation needs list. No one wants to ride on potholed roads or deteriorating bridges that compromise safety.

ODOT’s Fix-It Program is responsible for keeping state highways in good repair, and it’s the largest single category of funding— more than $800 million over three years (2025-2027) — in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) we’re currently developing.

While $800 million is a lot of money, it’s still not enough to cover all the projects on our list for each STIP cycle. For that reason, we want to show you how we decide which projects make it into the STIP and why.

ODOT selects projects by applying engineering expertise while considering data on system condition and safety, community needs and available funding. To demonstrate how we pick the best projects, we created a video about our Fix-It and safety programs featuring our own engineers and program experts explaining how they make decisions. We also made an infographic illustrating the STIP cycle.

So far this year, our transportation experts are nearly done with early estimates of potential Fix-It projects. Next they’ll head out into the field to collect site condition data, estimate construction costs, identify opportunities to combine work with other projects, and finalize project scope. Throughout the year they’ll refine cost estimates based on this field data and have conversations with our local partners and stakeholders before finalizing which projects will go into the STIP.

While our agency makes big investments to keep roads in good condition, we know that our aging roads and bridges need more funding than we have. We’re only able to replace about three of our 2,700 state highway bridges each year. The rest have to remain in use with repairs we can afford. On average, state highways need to be paved every 25 years, but we only have enough funding to pave each highway once every 50 years on average. As a result, we can’t avoid the fact that we’re going to see more potholes and rough pavement, and more heavy truck weight restrictions on bridges.

We are committed to keeping you informed on the STIP process. For more information, visit ODOT’s STIP website.