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Highway Dept history
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The Ferry was built by Oscar Anderson and took its maiden voyage on Memorial Day 1852.
The Minnesota Legislature began passing laws directing the townships and counties in road and bridge building matters from its early days of statehood in 1858.
North Dakota becomes the 39th state on November 2, 1889.
In 1893, the Office of Road Inquiry was founded.
State licensing of motor vehicles started in 1903, except where municipalities had already done so.
1905 - The Legislature creates the State Highway Commission to build roads and bridges.
In 1905 that organization's name was changed to the Office of Public Roads which became a division of the United States Department of Agriculture.
In 1913, the legislature formed the State Highway Commission giving them the mandate to, “Get Oregon out of the mud!”
First annual report of the Highway Engineer, for the period ending November 30,1914
State of Oregon, Office of State Highway Engineer (1914). First Annual Report of the Highway Engineer, Salem, OR: State Printing Department.
These reports are available in hard-copy format from the ODOT Library, but a few have been digitized, including the first, published in 1914 as an annual report.
Second Annual Report of the Engineer of the Oregon State Highway Commission for the Year Ending November 30, 1915
The Columbia River Highway was dedicated on June 7, 1916, and was considered to be the first scenic highway in the United States.
Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 Creation of a Landmark (.pdf, 1 mb)
Annual Report, State Highway Engineer to the Oregon State Highway Commission for the Year Ending November 30, 1917
The State Highway Commission was originally established in the spring 1917 when the Commission met for the first time and began planning our state highway system.
Abolishing the Highway Commission in 1917, the Legislature created a Department of Highways.
By 1917, the Commission was reorganized to include three Governor-appointed members, one from each of the congressional districts in the state.
A constitutional amendment adopted in 1920 allowed for the creation of a system of 70 trunk highways.
1921 - The Legislature gives the Highway Department a mandate to acquire right of way; locate, construct, improve and maintain trunk highways; let necessary contracts; buy needed material and equipment; and expend necessary funds.
The first such tract was on the Westside Pacific Highway near Monmouth in 1922, given to the Commission by the Helmick family to be designated as the Sarah Helmick State Park.
A traffic survey, in which automatic equipment was used for the first time, determines that traffic has doubled since 1925.
In 1925, the Commission’s ability to obtain land and develop parks and recreational areas was expanded.
A traffic survey reveals that traffic has decreased 20 percent since 1930.Out-of-state traffic decreased 40 percent during the same time.
The nail picker toured North Dakota roads in the 1930’s picking up nails and other metal objects.
Created on April 22, 1933, the Minnesota Aeronautics Commission focused its efforts on two main goals: to make aviation in Minnesota safe and to promote interest in aviation throughout the state.
Map Showing Location of Automobile Ferries in the State of Oregon: March 1, 1935
The Travel and Information Division was formed in November, 1935, launching a nation-wide advertising and publicity campaign to promote tourism using the state's highway system.
The five major coastal bridges forming the last links in the Oregon Coast Highway were dedicated in 1936.
Horses, however would remain a fixture on road projects until the 1940’s.
Oregon State Highway Commission (1942). Fifteenth Biennial Report of the Oregon State Highway Commission.
The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1944 authorized funding for the postwar programs to improve secondary rural and urban roads.
Oregon State Highway Commission (1944). Sixteenth Biennial Report of the Oregon State Highway Commission.
As a result, the State Aid Division was created in 1945 in the Department of Highways to work with Minnesota's cities and counties.
1949 North Dakota begins issuing Disabled Veteran license plates.
In 1893, the Office of Road Inquiry was founded. It was then shifted to the Federal Works Agency which was abolished in 1949 when its name reverted to Bureau of Public Roads under the Department of Commerce.
Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 is passed.
In 1956, Congress enacted laws that set up funding for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways.
From its launch under President Eisenhower in 1956, the Greatest Public Works Project in History has transformed the Nation.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) was created on October 15, 1966, after having had several predecessor organizations.
The Department of Public Service was created in 1967 and the functions of the Railroad and Warehouse Commission were transferred to it.
And in 1969 the Legislature established the Department of Public Safety.
North Dakota issues centennial plates to commemorate the state's 1989 centennial.
The Oregon State Park system remained a part of the Oregon State Highway Department until it separated to become the Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation in 1990.
McCullough called them "jeweled clasps in a wonderful string of matched pearls," Although the Alsea Bay Bridge was replaced in 1991 because of extensive corrosion and deterioration, the others still stand, displaying McCullough’s aesthetic design combined with structural practicality.
Hadlow, R.W. (2001). Elegant Arches, Soaring Spans, Corvalis, OR: Oregon State University Press.
Finalized the Highway Performance Classification System, which was endorsed by the North Dakota Legislature during the 2005 session.
The I-29 reconstruction projects through the Fargo corridor were completed in 2007.
The NDDOT completed the four-laning of US Highway 2 between Williston and Minot with a total of 97 miles of four-lane highway added to the system when the project was finished in October 2008.
The new Liberty Memorial Bridge in Bismarck-Mandan was completed in November 2008.
The project is expected to be completed in 2009.
The ODOT History Committee published this chronological listing of major developments in the agency's history in 2009.
The 2013 construction program is estimated to bid out approximately $878 million in infrastructure projects across the state, making it the largest construction program in state history.
In 2013, the Oregon Department of Transportation celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Burrow, R., Bell, C., & Leedham, C. (2013). Oregon's Historic Bridge Field Guide. [Salem], OR: Oregon Dept. of Transportation.
Ronald Henke was named Interim Director from June 6 of 2017 to August of 2017.
2017 is a momentous year for the Department as it celebrates its 100 year anniversary.
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Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Highway Dept, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Highway Dept. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Highway Dept. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Highway Dept. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Highway Dept and its employees or that of Zippia.
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