ODOT outlines project 'racetrack', funding and gaps on major highway projects including Rose Quarter and I‑205

Salem — Oregon Department of Transportation officials briefed the Joint Committee on Transportation Feb. 25 on the department’s project delivery process and the status and funding needs of major State Highway Fund projects, saying cost escalation, scope changes and external requirements have widened funding gaps on several anchor projects tied to House Bill 2017.

ODOT Director Chris Strickler described a standard project development “racetrack” that moves a proposal from planning and scoping through design, environmental clearances, rights‑of‑way, final plans and construction. He told lawmakers the department’s traditional key performance measure (KPM) — how projects perform from near final design to construction closeout — shows about 90% on‑budget delivery, but a longer view from initial scoping (when projects are first placed in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program) to construction closeout shows on‑budget performance closer to 22%.

"That racetrack really does define some of the absolute mandatory steps as we look at a project development process," Strickler said. He added that projects face external dependencies including local jurisdictional permits, MPO endorsements and federal NEPA review that affect scope and cost.

Division Administrator Amy Ramsdell said ODOT’s strategic review recommended changes to give projects more time in a scoping window — a 10‑year rolling investment…