SALEM – Snow fell on many Oregon highways last weekend. Winter is coming, and ODOT is staffing up to be ready.
After the Oregon Legislature provided new funding in September to support highway maintenance, ODOT began recalling winter seasonal staff and listed dozens of job postings to fill vacant maintenance positions. These maintenance positions provide or support winter maintenance service and are located in every region of Oregon. The deadline to apply for many of those positions closes this week.
Through this summer’s transportation funding crisis, ODOT warned the public and partners that the agency was on track to provide a significantly lower level of maintenance service, both year-round and in the winter, in the absence of a funding solution. That’s because the agency was going to be forced to lay off hundreds of existing staff.
ODOT is no longer forecasting those scenarios of deep maintenance service cuts. That’s because many permanent maintenance staff – protected from being laid off by the actions of the legislature last month – are still with the agency. These crews are ready to provide winter maintenance services.
ODOT has an abnormally high level of vacant positions after the agency instituted a hiring freeze earlier in the spring and after the uncertainty of the summer resulted in elevated levels of staff departures. The agency also always staffs up to provide additional service during the rougher parts of winter that will come in a few months. With stable funding for maintenance secured, ODOT is moving quickly to fill these positions.
Interested applicants can apply here: Oregon Department of Transportation : Career Opportunities : About Us : State of Oregon.