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Since the big flood in 1996, county leaders have been looking to move the Transportation Maintenance division to higher ground with a safer, more environmentally-reliable location to serve our community for our daily operations and in times of emergency.
Our 100-member team maintains the integrity and safety of 186 bridges, and 1,400 miles of county roads including shoulders, culverts, guardrails, traffic signals and signs. We operate the Canby Ferry and run the Adopt-A-Road program.
We’re always on call to respond to weather conditions and emergencies to maintain safety on our roadways.
Transportation Maintenance offices, parking lot and vehicle shed during the 1996 floods.
Where we moved to
Construction of the new building continues to progress.
In 2023, staff and operations will move to its new 11-acre site at 19314 S Beavercreek Road, Oregon City near Clackamas Community College. County services onsite will include Transportation Maintenance and Fleet Services. Our team will be more resilient at this new location, with structures built to modern seismic standards on a hill near bedrock rather than in a floodplain.
Community benefits of moving includes:
- Maintaining a central location with access to rural and urban areas of the county.
- Building structures to modern seismic standards on a hill near bedrock rather than in a floodplain.
- Improving resilience for our first responders to attend to community needs during a flood, earthquake or other emergency efficiently and effectively.
- Preparing building for solar arrays on roof.
- Bringing additional improvements to the area to open development for employment lands including traffic signal improvements and construction of a roadway to future commercial business in Oregon City.
- Returning the Abernethy site to the tax rolls of Oregon City for development.
Where we moved from
The Transportation Maintenance division has been protecting the traveling public on 20 acres (about 10 acres of usable land) at 902 Abernethy since at least 1903. The property houses four buildings, a repair shop, material stockpiles, vehicles and equipment.
The buildings are not able to withstand an earthquake and the property sits in a floodplain, presenting a risk to public safety response as we saw in the 1996 floods.
Project funding
Approximately $34 million to purchase a completed facility (land, building, entitlements, required infrastructure improvements). The funding is compiled from a variety of sources including:
- $20 million bond with annual debt service less than $1.3 million. Of that $1.3 million, portions of the debt service will be covered by building occupants such as Fleet Services and Transportation Maintenance. The Transportation Maintenance portion of the debt service is covered by the State Highway Fund over 20 years and equates to less than 3.5% of our state highway revenues.
- Land sale proceeds
- State and county ARPA Lost Revenue Proceeds
No Community Road Fund/vehicle registration fees will be used.
