Following a multi-step review process, the Oregon Transportation Commission this week greenlit $46 million in new funds for aviation, rail, and marine projects throughout the state under the auspices of the Connect Oregon initiative.
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) put forth the investments after receiving 51 applications during the initiative’s current round of grants. In all, 21 were selected. It ranked those projects on several factors:
- Access to jobs/labor
- Reduced transportation costs
- Economic benefits to the state
- Critical link for system
- Readiness
- Required match
- Useful life
- Proximity to mining aggregate
- Geographic mix
- Equity
- Climate/GHG impacts
These funds represent the sixth round of Connect Oregon grants since the initiative was started in 2005 to invest in non-highway modes of transportation. To date, the OTC has funded 221 projects. All but five of those projects are complete.
Of the newest projects, the largest single amount went to Hyak Tongue Point, LLC for its 1500 metric ton mobile lift project. Connect Oregon will give it $13,900,000. The lowest amount issued was $155,330 for a track expansion undertaken by Hampton Lumber Sales. Other winners included Jackson County for the heavy duty aircraft apron expansion of the Medford Airport East Side ($2.5 million), the Port of Portland for a container capacity expansion project ($7.37 million), and Colombia Rail for expansions of its Milton-Freewater Area Shortline customer track ($692,300), among other recipients.