Drivers on U.S. 26 near milepost 13 west of Salem will hit a smoother ride heading into the rainy season, but the fix is temporary.

The Oregon Department of Transportation finished repairs in the past two weeks at the chronic "bump," where an active landslide keeps shifting the highway. Crews installed six dry wells, each 10 to 15 feet deep, and paved the surface with cold mix asphalt that flexes as the ground moves, ODOT said Wednesday, Oct. 21.

The patch costs about $200,000 a year. A permanent fix would run into the millions and is not funded.

The dry wells are a new approach at the site. Crews dug the wells to give groundwater more room to collect and drain into existing pipes. They lined each well with fabric to filter silt and filled them with rock and gravel. The spaces between the rocks let water flow toward drainpipes more easily than through compacted soil.

ODOT crews believe the existing pipe trenches may be too narrow to handle all the groundwater in the area. The wells are meant to supplement them.

Brian Morey, ODOT District 4 manager, said in the bulletin that the repairs help smooth the road and improve drainage, but the ground underneath will continue to move. He urged travelers to slow down, drive for conditions and give crews room to work.

“Our crews are taking proactive steps now to prepare these trouble spots for the rainy season,” said Morey. “These repairs help smooth the road and improve drainage, but the ground underneath will continue to move. Our crews keep watch and respond as conditions change. Travelers can help by slowing down, driving for the conditions and giving crews room to work.”

Crews will check the site multiple times a day through the rainy season because heavy rain can change road conditions quickly. They want to see whether the new wells reduce water reaching the surface and slow ground movement.

The near-milepost 13 bump sits atop what ODOT calls an "ancient landslide." Even a multimillion-dollar project to address the underlying slide would not necessarily stop future movement, the agency said.

ODOT has identified 4,143 unstable slopes along Oregon highways, affecting about 495 miles of road, that includes:

  • 69 debris flows
  • 2,274 landslides
  • 1,899 rockfalls

The estimated cost to stabilize all of them: $34.5 billion. The agency spends about $2.5 million a year on unstable slope mitigation projects and $18.1 million on maintenance repairs statewide.

At current funding, ODOT estimates it would take 391 years to address just the 26 most critical sites.

The budget picture is getting tighter. The Oregon Capital Chronicle reported July 31 that ODOT faces a $200 million budget gap for the 2027-29 cycle. Voters in May rejected most of a $4.3 billion transportation revenue package spread over the next decade. Without new money, the agency's maintenance branch would lose 193 jobs, according to the Capital Chronicle's reporting.

A 12-member stakeholder group appointed by Gov. Tina Kotek is developing funding recommendations for the 2027 legislative session.

For now, the bump gets patched, the crews keep watch, and the landslide keeps moving.