Why does ODOT own or control material sources?
ODOT is a major consumer of aggregate products. On average ODOT has a demand for between 4 and 8 million tons of aggregate material per year to meet the needs of construction and maintenance projects around the state. Demand varies per year based on the types of projects and on the project schedules. ODOT owns approximately 700 material sites around the state which in combination with federal sites, private and commercial suppliers are relied upon to supply the materials needed for the numerous ODOT construction projects. In some areas of the state, there are no commercial or private sources of materials within miles of the highway projects. Without state owned or controlled sources of material contractors would have no alternative but to haul materials needed for the project from distant sources adding substantial cost to the projects. In other areas where there are few commercial or private sources the existence of a publicly controlled or owned material source can provide an option
