OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — Highlights of the Oklahoma Transportation Commission’s recent meeting include the presentation of two industry awards for construction, reports on the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) notable accomplishments in 2024, and updates on major projects starting in the new year.
ODOT and the Commission were presented with two national awards from the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) for Excellence in Concrete Paving. ACPA is the national trade association for the concrete pavement industry and is involved in the design, construction, and preservation of concrete pavements. The Excellence in Concrete Pavement Awards recognize winners in multiple categories and are determined by concrete pavement professionals. The awards recognize contractors, engineers, and project owners.
District 2’s Madill Residency won Gold in the Divided Highways - Rural category for a US-69/75 reconstruction project between Calera and Durant, Bryan County, in Southeastern Oklahoma. District 4’s Stillwater Residency received the Gold award in the State Roads category for the reconstruction US-177/Perkins Road between McElroy Road and Lakeview Road in Stillwater, Payne County, in Northcentral Oklahoma.
Commissioners watched ODOT’s 2024 Year in Review video, a look back on major transportation highlights from the past year. The compilation includes the department’s progress on addressing rural, two-lane highways; the opening of the US-281/Route 66 Bridgeport bridge; the 25th anniversary of the Heartland Flyer; and the continuation of installing Wrong Way Detection Systems along the I-35 southern corridor, among several other achievements.
ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz updated commissioners on multiple projects starting in the new year that will affect traffic for some time. Starting in late February through spring 2026, crews will be working on SH-152 from Meridian Avenue east to I-44 to widen lanes and improve access to the Will Rogers International Airport. Currently underway through spring is a bridge rehabilitation project on the S.W. 119th bridge over I-44, then following completion, an additional bridge rehabilitation on the S.W. 134th bridge over I-44 from spring to fall to address the structurally deficient bridges originally built in 1964.
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Outside of the Oklahoma City metro area, there is a project taking shape on US-259 in Hochatown, Southeastern Oklahoma, through October 2026. Construction will widen the road to a five-lane section and include pedestrian improvements to better accommodate the growing tourism and attractions in the area. In the Tulsa metro, a second phase of full construction will begin on the I-44 and US-75 interchange in April. The initial work will start on the westbound I-44 to southbound US-75 flyover bridge and along Skelly Drive frontage road. Drivers will see changes to traffic by mid-summer, and the project will continue through 2028.
“We want the traveling public to be aware of those projects," Gatz said. "We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us and know that all construction work is disruptive to traffic. Our best hope is for the traveling public to stay informed, pay attention, and really be careful through those work zones."
The nine-member Oklahoma Transportation Commission, appointed by the governor and legislative leadership to oversee the state’s transportation development, awards contracts monthly for road and bridge construction.
