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Freight‑dependent businesses tell work group unreliable roads are costing Oregon
Summary
Nursery operators and trucking representatives told the state work group that closed bridges, weight limits and congestion are reducing truck access, raising costs and threatening rural businesses that ship most of their product out of state.
Jim Simnet, who said he runs Simnet Nursery, told the panel that unreliable roads and bridges directly reduce the state's freight capacity. "Unreliable in my mind is roads that are closed, bridges that can't haul trucks," he said, adding that detours and closures add time and make long‑haul carriers reluctant to take Oregon business. Simnet noted that the nursery sector ships roughly 75% of product out of state and that freight delays cut margins for growers who rely on timely trucking and driver availability.
Panelists highlighted concrete examples: a local bridge closure near Canby shut a direct route for more than a year, adding 20 minutes per truck trip and doubling intra‑site hauls for the nursery. Several speakers said the state needs to prioritize maintenance and weight‑limit fixes for freight corridors and add staging, parking and rest facilities for drivers to keep the supply chain functioning. The committee directed subgroups to identify priority freight corridors and the near‑term fixes that would avoid the highest real‑world costs.
