There’s a lot of talk about the Oregon Department of Transportation’s budget in Salem and the fact that a transportation package is still in the air made me realize that a lot of Oregonians don’t know all that ODOT workers do.

My name is Kyle Martin. I’m a transportation maintenance specialist 2 with ODOT in Hermiston. From fixing guard rails, paving, and filling potholes to shutting down the road due to a wreck, anyone who uses roads is touched by our work.

You don’t think of us bashing out windows, putting out vehicle fires or pulling people out of their cars. I’ve had to ask, “Can you get out of your rig? It’s on fire.”

I remember a time I was plowing heavy snow, and I had a family in a Chevrolet Suburban in front of me that lost control and rolled at milepost 191 on Interstate 84. A whole family began to crawl out the windows. I lifted the wing of my plow and threw out flares to ensure they were not hit by oncoming traffic.

In that case no one was seriously injured, but that’s not always the case, and I’ve seen some things that will stick with me for the rest of my life. For the sake of all Oregonians, I hope that legislators land a transportation package so we can work at full capacity. It’s hard to do a project like paving when there are road closures due to accidents. We’re already running thin as it is.

Kyle Martin

Stanfield