Oregon Department of Transportation director Kris Strickler announced on Wednesday he will step down at the end of this year, as the agency continues to grapple with cost overruns on major projects and seeks permanent funding for the state’s highways, bridges and maintenance workers.

For the last year, the agency has been the focus of intense scrutiny from lawmakers as they worked to pass a transportation funding package . Legislators of both parties and Gov. Tina Kotek have pledged to eliminate bureaucratic inefficiencies and increase legislative oversight of projects managed by the agency.

Strickler, who has worked in transportation management for years and was appointed as agency director in 2019, is the latest in a series of high-profile leaders at the Oregon Department of Tran

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