The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is a department of the state government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for systems of transportation. It was first established in 1969.[1] It had been preceded by the Oregon State Highway Department which, along with the Oregon State Highway Commission, was created by an act of the Oregon Legislative Assembly in 1913.[2] It works closely with the five-member Oregon Transportation Commission (the modern name of the Highway Commission) in managing the state's transportation systems.
The Oregon Transportation Commission, formerly the Oregon State Highway Commission, is a five-member governor-appointed government agency that manages the state highways and other transportation in the U.S. state of Oregon, in conjunction with the Oregon Department of Transportation.
The new commissioners held their first meeting on March 6, and the commission was then known as the Oregon Highway Division. As Oregon's transportation needs started to grow, the division expanded and, in 1919, it employed their first State Bridge Engineer, Conde McCullough.
Events
By 1920, Oregon had 620 miles (998 km) of paved roads and 297.2 miles (478.3 km) of plank roads for a population of 783,389 and, by 1932, the work that had been started on the Oregon Coast Highway (also known as U.S. Route 101) in 1914 was completed, except for five bridges, which meant greater responsibility for the division. This work was complete when the construction of the bridges over the Yaquina, Alsea, Siuslaw, and Umpqua rivers and Coos Bay were completed, closing the last gaps in the highway. By 1940, the highway division was managing more than 7,000 miles (11,300 km) of state, market and country roads in Oregon, with nearly 5,000 miles (8,000 km) being hard-surfaced.
ODOT Highway Division Regions
In 2018, the city government of Portland, Oregon and ODOT entered into an intergovernmental agreement in which the Portland city government takes over the cleanups of transient camps on ODOT right-of-way in select locations in Portland in exchange for payments from ODOT.[3][4]
In 2019, ODOT installed boulders at five locations in Portland to deter transient camps around the freeways. The installations have received support from neighbors while criticized by homeless advocacy groups.[5]
Exploding whale incident
On November 12, 1970, the department was tasked with disposing of a dead sperm whale that washed ashore on the beach near Florence. The department exploded the dead whale using half a ton of dynamite to blast it off the beach. Pieces of dead whale went everywhere including the beach, bystanders, a parking lot and a park, severely damaging at least one car.[6]Willamette Week reports "The decision to publicly dynamite an enormous mammal has become one of Oregon's all-time most bizarre moments."[6]
^Department of Transportation: Agency History, Oregon Blue Book.
^Sparling, Zane. "ODOT to pay Portland for homeless camp clean-ups". Retrieved 2020-07-23.
^Harbarger, Molly (2018-12-20). "Portland taking over homeless camp cleanups for ODOT". oregonlive. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
^Kruzman, Kruzman (2019-07-04). "Portland's homeless campers face new obstacle: piles of boulders". oregonlive. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
^ abJune, Sophia (October 3, 2016). "There Is Now Better Footage of That Time Oregon Blew Up a Whale With Dynamite". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
^"Exploding Whale Memorial Park to Honour Blubber That Was Blown to Bits in US 50 Years Ago". News18. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
^Business Services History Center 2012-01-02 at the Wayback Machine
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oregon Department of Transportation.
Exploding whale video on YouTube, linked from Willamette Week news article
Oregon Transportation Commission
March 25, 2023
oregon, department, transportation, odot, department, state, government, state, oregon, responsible, systems, transportation, first, established, 1969, been, preceded, oregon, state, highway, department, which, along, with, oregon, state, highway, commission, . The Oregon Department of Transportation ODOT is a department of the state government of the U S state of Oregon responsible for systems of transportation It was first established in 1969 1 It had been preceded by the Oregon State Highway Department which along with the Oregon State Highway Commission was created by an act of the Oregon Legislative Assembly in 1913 2 It works closely with the five member Oregon Transportation Commission the modern name of the Highway Commission in managing the state s transportation systems Oregon Department of TransportationAgency overviewFormed1969Preceding agenciesOregon State Highway CommissionOregon State Highway DepartmentJurisdictionOregonHeadquarters355 Capitol Street NE Salem Oregon 97301 3871Agency executiveKris Strickler DirectorParent agencyOregon Transportation CommissionWebsiteoregon gov ODOTThe Oregon Transportation Commission formerly the Oregon State Highway Commission is a five member governor appointed government agency that manages the state highways and other transportation in the U S state of Oregon in conjunction with the Oregon Department of Transportation Contents 1 Inception 2 Events 3 Exploding whale incident 4 Directors 5 Slogans 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksInception Edit ODOT headquarters in Salem Incident response truck in Salem Transient camp deterrent boulders installed by ODOT in 2019 at Portland Oregon The first State Highway Commission was created on August 12 1913 and was composed of Governor Oswald West Secretary of State Ben W Olcott and Treasurer Thomas B Kay On January 12 1915 James Withycombe became Governor and replaced Oswald West on the commission The 1917 Oregon Legislative Assembly redesigned the State Highway Commission with citizens appointed to replace the elected officials The new commissioners held their first meeting on March 6 and the commission was then known as the Oregon Highway Division As Oregon s transportation needs started to grow the division expanded and in 1919 it employed their first State Bridge Engineer Conde McCullough Events EditBy 1920 Oregon had 620 miles 998 km of paved roads and 297 2 miles 478 3 km of plank roads for a population of 783 389 and by 1932 the work that had been started on the Oregon Coast Highway also known as U S Route 101 in 1914 was completed except for five bridges which meant greater responsibility for the division This work was complete when the construction of the bridges over the Yaquina Alsea Siuslaw and Umpqua rivers and Coos Bay were completed closing the last gaps in the highway By 1940 the highway division was managing more than 7 000 miles 11 300 km of state market and country roads in Oregon with nearly 5 000 miles 8 000 km being hard surfaced ODOT Highway Division Regions In 2018 the city government of Portland Oregon and ODOT entered into an intergovernmental agreement in which the Portland city government takes over the cleanups of transient camps on ODOT right of way in select locations in Portland in exchange for payments from ODOT 3 4 In 2019 ODOT installed boulders at five locations in Portland to deter transient camps around the freeways The installations have received support from neighbors while criticized by homeless advocacy groups 5 Exploding whale incident EditOn November 12 1970 the department was tasked with disposing of a dead sperm whale that washed ashore on the beach near Florence The department exploded the dead whale using half a ton of dynamite to blast it off the beach Pieces of dead whale went everywhere including the beach bystanders a parking lot and a park severely damaging at least one car 6 Willamette Week reports The decision to publicly dynamite an enormous mammal has become one of Oregon s all time most bizarre moments 6 This became known as the exploding whale incident 7 Directors EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed August 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message John Fulton July 1 1969 December 31 1970 George Baldwin January 1 1971 June 30 1971 Sam Haley July 1 1971 July 8 1973 George Baldwin July 9 1973 April 30 1976 Bob Burco May 1 1976 January 8 1979 Fred Klaboe January 9 1979 December 31 1981 Fred Miller January 1 1982 February 16 1987 Bob Bothman February 17 1987 June 30 1991 Don Forbes July 1 1991 1995 Grace Crunican 1996 2001 Bruce Warner 2001 2005 Matthew Garrett December 19 2005 June 30 2019 Kris Strickler September 2019 PresentSlogans Edit1913 Get Oregon Out of the Mud 8 1957 Building Oregon Thru Better Highways 1958 Oregon Freeways Symbol of 2nd Century Progress 1961 Freeways are Easier 1967 Fifty Years of Building Better Highways in Oregon not technically correct the department was formed in 1913 1978 Keep Oregon Green and in the Black 1986 ODOT on the Move 2006 The way to go See also EditGlenn Jackson an influential twenty year member of the commission Oregon Department of Aviation State highways in OregonReferences Edit History of ODOT Department of Transportation Agency History Oregon Blue Book Sparling Zane ODOT to pay Portland for homeless camp clean ups Retrieved 2020 07 23 Harbarger Molly 2018 12 20 Portland taking over homeless camp cleanups for ODOT oregonlive Retrieved 2020 07 23 Kruzman Kruzman 2019 07 04 Portland s homeless campers face new obstacle piles of boulders oregonlive Retrieved 2020 07 23 a b June Sophia October 3 2016 There Is Now Better Footage of That Time Oregon Blew Up a Whale With Dynamite Willamette Week Retrieved 2020 07 23 Exploding Whale Memorial Park to Honour Blubber That Was Blown to Bits in US 50 Years Ago News18 Retrieved 2020 07 23 Business Services History Center Archived 2012 01 02 at the Wayback MachineExternal links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oregon Department of Transportation Exploding whale video on YouTube linked from Willamette Week news article Oregon Department of Transportation Museum online Oregon Transportation Commission Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Oregon Department of Transportation amp oldid 1129812108, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
