| Commission approves projects for ConnectOregon III funding |
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| ODOT News |
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Projects will improve transportation connections
August 25, 2010
For more information: Shelley Snow, (503) 986-3438 or cell, (503) 881-5362
HERMISTON – The Oregon Transportation Commission has approved 41 multimodal projects totaling $97,138,884 and 57 rural airport projects totaling $4,478,452 for the ConnectOregon III program. The multimodal projects, selected from an initial group of 81 requesting more than $200,000,000, were reviewed by several committees and stakeholder groups over the past nine months. The approved projects are the same ones recommended by the ConnectOregon Final Review Committee in June. The rural airport projects were reviewed under a process managed by the Oregon Department of Aviation.
“From marine to aviation, transit to rail, ConnectOregon has created jobs and improved our economic future,” said Governor Ted Kulongoski. “The entire program, with its focused investment in our non-highway system, has been a success for all of Oregon.”
Governor Kulongoski and the Oregon legislature created the third round of the ConnectOregon program in 2009. ConnectOregon is aimed at improving transportation connections around the state by investing in non-highway projects such as rail, marine/ports, aviation and public transit. ConnectOregon I and II (2005 and 2007, respectively) each authorized $100 million in lottery-backed bonds for multimodal projects; ConnectOregon III set aside $5 million of the $100 million for rural aviation projects.
The Oregon Department of Transportation, which manages the program, received 81 applications requesting a total of $201,462,646. The applications were reviewed by their respective advisory committees as well as the regional Area Commissions on Transportation and a specially created Portland area committee. The Final Review Committee, made up of 26 volunteers from each of the modal and regional committees, industry groups, and other stakeholders, met for two days to evaluate the modal and review committee recommendations. Access information about all of the ConnectOregon III applications here.
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