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Accidents lead to costly repairs on Highway 20 in Corvallis

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Costly Repairs on Highway 20 in Corvallis

CORVALLIS, Ore -- Highway 20 in Corvallis hasn't had a lot of luck these past couple of months.

First, in late November, a semi-truck hit the ramp severely damaging it. Then, on January 25, an over-height car carrier truck left its mark on the highway when a vehicle fell off as it passed. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) can attest that all this damage will cost quite a large amount of money to fix.

Jan. 25 crash on Highway 20 in Corvallis

"Maintaining and improving the transportation system takes a lot of time and it takes a lot of funding," said Angela Beers-Sydell, Public Information Officer for ODOT. "We all want to know that the dollars we put towards that is being used to move forwards."

ODOT determined smaller cars could drive on the ramp without problems, but larger vehicles are still prohibited. Most of the repairs are being done during the week at night, when there is less traffic. 

Corvallis residents like Alan Pastre read up on the situation when it first happened.

"Apparently his vehicle was over height and that caused the accident," Pastre said. "To not know how high your vehicle is... that's a little questionable" 

Before issuing a bill, ODOT also tries to find out if the driver was independent or if they worked for a company. In the Highway 20 case, the driver worked for a company, so ODOT will charge that company for damages to public property. According to ODOT assessments, the company is on the hook for nearly $900,000.

ODOT teams will also go about assessing the damage to the structure. In this process, they take into account a number of important factors. One of the key costs they calculate is material and labor. Sometimes ODOT will also get a contractor to repair damages. This brings in additional costs as well. 

There isn't an upcharge to it, but it's labor, materials, and sometimes that is included in a contract, and we have a contractor doing the work rather than ODOT ourselves," Beers-Seydell said.

Corvallis residents said paying close to $900,000 is a lot of money. However they also say there should be some consequences.

"As someone who is aware of construction and how expensive it can be, it's a bummer that things get real expensive," said Deanna Carpenter, a Corvallis resident. "But I would think that the gentleman was insured and that a combination of the insurance and his own personal liability would come together and solve the problem."

ODOT officials say the highway should be repaired by early March.

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