Oregon’s Infrastructure Needs Work, Report Says

The American Society of Civil Engineers gives Oregon a C-minus for infrastructure.  The group’s Ana Tijerina Esquino said they graded 12 categories.

“Bridges and roads, for example, did get downgraded this time. That is because our road transportation network is degrading and we’re not investing enough money to keep it in a state of good repair.”

But, she said grades for drinking water and wastewater improved slightly, compared to the last report card.  The American Society of Civil Engineers recommends the Beaver state take a more holistic view of projects, factoring in the full cost of operation, maintenance and replacement instead of just initial construction.

“And that would allow our state, the agencies that manage our infrastructure, to do more with the dollar that they spend. Because we do recognize that we don’t have infinite money here. If we had infinite money, we could have infinitely good infrastructure.”

The report includes five recommendations for state lawmakers, including addressing the skilled workforce shortage.  Visit the American Society of Civil Engineers' Website to learn more.

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