August 28, 2019 9:30 a.m.
Congressman Peter DeFazio has announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded over $16 million to the Douglas County Bridge Replacement Project.
A release from DeFazio said that project includes work to improve the Conn Ford and Oakland Bridges. The federal grant is made possible by the Competitive Highway Bridge Program according to DeFazio. The release said DeFazio, who chairs the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, has long supported the project.
DeFazio said the grant is “a good first step toward fixing the infrastructure for the residents of Douglas County, who, like so many people across our country, have been dealing with outdated and structurally deficient bridges in their communities for far too long”.
DeFazio said there are tens of thousands of bridges across the U.S., including more in Douglas County, that need urgent attention. He said that is why he is fighting in Congress for far greater Federal investment in the nation’s infrastructure, so that more bridges, along with roads, harbors, airports, wastewater systems and more, will be brought up to a state of good repair. DeFazio said that will create local jobs and spur the national economy.
The release said according to the latest report from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, more than 47,000 bridges in the United States are deemed structurally deficient. Of the nearly 8,200 bridges in Oregon, 422 are deemed structurally deficient. That includes 167 bridges in Oregon’s 4th Congressional District.