Project Delivery

Last updated: 07/17/24

The Goal: Deliver projects on time and on budget.

We manage hundreds of construction projects of various sizes and in various stages of development, but they all help keep travelers moving safely and efficiently across the system.

Some examples of the work we do:

Improving intersections with new lighting, better crosswalks and signals, and other safety enhancements.
Repairing bridge structures and retrofitting them to be more resilient to earthquakes.
Repaving road and bridge surfaces, replacing guardrails, and adding rumble strips to road centerlines and shoulders.
Widening sidewalks, installing protected bike lanes, and building new multi-use paths.
Projects that improve transit, like widening interstate shoulders to allow buses to use them in heavy traffic.
Projects that ease traffic congestion like adding auxiliary lanes, improving on- and off-ramps or building roundabouts.
Replacing culverts to keep water from damaging our roads.

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Updated 08/2024

Click Map to view all project on a map. Projects are denoted on the map with dots and lines. Larger dots indicate multiple projects in the area. Lines indicate corridor projects.

We're taking action to better estimate project costs and timeline

Three to five years before a project starts, ODOT estimates the total cost and completion date of the project and dedicated funding accordingly. The general project confirmed (e.g. the project will extend the life and maintain the carrying capacity of a bridge and add bike lanes) and the type of design is identified but not developed (about 10% of design work is completed). Project costs and the completion dates sometimes change once additional design work and environmental analysis are done, and project risks and inflation are factored into the cost estimate.

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Small projects ($10M or less): 60

Accurate Timeline Estimations: 40%
Accurate Budget Estimations: 20%

Small projects include things like culvert repairs, replacing traffic signals, or installing guardrails.

Large projects ($10M-$50M): 14

Accurate TImeline Estimations: 43%
Accurate Budget Estimations: 28%

Large projects include things like bridge repair and repaving roads.

To better improve estimates, ODOT is:

Developing a process for a 10 Year Rolling Investment Strategy to better plan for future investments, including;

Programming closer to the time the project starts. (1-2 years out)
Getting further into design (at least 30%) before programming and obtaining a better understanding of permitting and risk mitigation requirements.

Putting in place more project controls.

Establishing formalized quarterly project and program reports to identify potential project trends and risk mitigation strategies early.
Flagging high-cost and high-profile projects at the start and putting in place multiple check-points to help ensure on-time and on-budget performance.

ODOT construction staff manage projects within their allotted budget

Adjustments to project costs and timelines are often made during the development of project bid documents. However, once projects enter the construction phase, we construct and deliver most projects on-time and on-budget. As we improve and align project estimating with project delivery, on-time and on-budget performance should be more accurate from project programming through completion, not just construction through completion.

Construction Projects On-Time Key Performance Measure

Construction Projects On-Budget Key Performance Measure

We are working to bring this and project estimate performance into better alignment, meaning that overall, on-time and on-budget performance should be much more accurate from project programming through completion, not just project construction through completion.

Investments benefit Disadvantaged Communities

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We remain committed to investing funds into regions with low-income populations, communities of color, and areas identified with equity disparities throughout Oregon.

High Equity Disparity areas are places where predictors of social vulnerability overlap to show potential levels of inequity.

Updated 04/2024

We are working to improve our project delivery, but we face significant hurdles

Many factors impact on-time and on-budget delivery:

Cost of materials and fuels
Community support
Other unforeseen issues (e.g., unanticipated geological features, archeological finds, environmental impacts)

ODOT plans for average inflation and risks when estimating costs. However, material costs can fluctuate from year to year and even quarter to quarter. Over the past few years:

Fuel costs have gone up 67%
Asphalt and cement material costs are up 50%
The cost of steel has increased by 59%

Source: ODOT Project Controls Office

Updated 04/2024

Visit our Project Delivery website to learn more

2024 Efforts Underway


Assessing our full portfolio of work to identify cost risk and align processes with our budgetary limitations. Using more and better data to make more accurate project cost estimates. Using project management software to collect and track data to measure and inform outcomes.	Ensuring community outreach goals by using the Community Engagement Tookit. Working to meet statewide Disadvantaged Business Enterprises contracting targets through construction.