Sidewalks, paving, chip seals and more coming to communities around the state, Oct. 28

ODOT release – SALEM – Small cities around the state are receiving $5.1 million in funding after the Small City Allotment Advisory Committee unanimously approved the latest round of recommendations in the 2022 Small City Allotment program. ODOT Director Kris Strickler finalized the selection with his approval. ‘We received 92 applications requesting $9,032,850 and were able to award 53 projects totaling $5,135,900,” Strickler said in reviewing and approving the committee’s recommendation. Approved projects include things like replacing 18 non-compliant curb ramps along with pavement preservation in Durham; adding curb, gutters, sidewalks, bike lanes and curb ramps on selected roads in Scio; and rebuilding roads to match existing curb lines while paving the full width of road, including shoulders, in Maupin. Oregon’s historic transportation funding package, Keep Oregon Moving from the 2017 Oregon Legislature, created the Small City Allotment program to help communities fix local roads. The program receives $5 million each year and includes any cost savings from previous years rolled into the distribution formula. Recipient cities must have less than 5,000 population and project selection includes on-site visits. To include as many cities as possible, no matching funds are required. Programs like the Small City Allotment help ODOT in its efforts to build and support a modern transportation system, one of three top priorities in the agency’s 2021 – 2023 Strategic Action Plan. On the South Coast, the communities of Coqulle, Myrtle Pt. & Reedsport have been allocated $100,000 each.