Salem, Oregon – Governor Tina Kotek and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) have announced that hundreds of people would be laid off since the state doesn’t have enough money. This will cause a lot of problems for Oregon’s transportation system. The state started laying off 483 workers on Monday. This is the first of two stages in which 600 to 700 positions are scheduled to be cut. The second wave is anticipated in early 2026, depending on weather and the absence of legislative intervention.
Governor Kotek said in a dramatically worded statement that “consequences to essential transportation services are imminent” and dubbed the situation an emergency. She stressed that these cuts will have an effect on every part of the state, from regular maintenance to responding to emergencies during natural disasters.
“This is not business as usual,” she said. “These layoffs constitute an emergency in Oregon’s transportation system that will hurt every part of Oregon.”
Read also: A massive and dangerous scam in Oregon could leave you with an empty bank account
The layoffs happened after the Oregon Legislature ended its 2025 session without giving ODOT enough money to keep its budget going. Kotek then requested a high-level assessment of ODOT’s efforts to minimize costs. He told the Department of Administrative Services and state financial leaders to engage with ODOT Director Kris Strickler. The goal is to limit the immediate damage to core services while balancing staff cuts with cuts to materials and equipment.
The government is cutting back on expenditure on supplies like deicer and sand, putting off replacing vehicles, keeping veteran staff to keep institutional expertise, and reducing the number of maintenance stations that will be closed to lessen the first impact. But even with these steps, the effects will be felt all around the state.
Drivers should expect the roads to get worse starting this summer. There will be fewer workers, which will mean that potholes will take longer to fix, road striping will fade, and trash on the side of the road won’t be picked up. Brush and vegetation trimming—crucial for wildfire prevention and driver visibility—will be reduced. Transportation and infrastructure projects might be put on hold for a long time.
As Oregon gets closer to winter, things get increasingly worse. Snow and ice clearance will take a lot longer, especially in rural and mountainous regions, because there will be less deicer, fewer staff, and more ground to cover. Governor Kotek said that some roads might shutdown during snowstorms and stay closed for a long time because crews are short-staffed and can’t respond quickly.
In recent years, ODOT has already been operating under strain, leaving hundreds of jobs unfilled to stretch limited resources. Those vacancies are now being permanently cut as part of this plan.
Governor Kotek urged lawmakers and stakeholders to return to the table, stressing that action is still possible.
“Come winter, without a shared commitment to solve this crisis from partners and lawmakers, Oregonians will be left out in the cold – literally,” she said.
Click here for more information.
 have announced that hundreds of people would be laid off since the state doesn't have enough money){kind=link}