OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — Highlights of the Oklahoma Transportation Commission’s recent meeting include presentation of the Woman of the Year award, a briefing on an emergency Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) project to repair an I-40 bridge in El Reno and status of several projects that have been rescheduled after being delayed by the lapse in federal funding earlier this year.
In a special presentation, Women’s Transportation Seminar International, Oklahoma Chapter Vice President Sharri Hiller presented ODOT Chief of Media and Public Relations Terri Angier with its Woman of the Year award for serving as an outstanding role model for supporting programs which provide leadership training, professional development and networking opportunities for women in transportation. Angier is the second recipient of the award from the organization, which supports advancement of women in the transportation industry. Angier has worked for ODOT for nearly 30 years and oversees all aspects of public relations administration and information management for the agency.
Secretary of Transportation and ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz briefed the commission on a nearly $300,000 emergency repair to the I-40 bridges over US-81 in El Reno. A routine inspection in April discovered excessive pavement pressure forces had closed some expansion joints and damaged several bridge beams. The bridges are safe and remain open to traffic as repairs are ongoing.
Gatz reported on several major projects that were expedited to be rescheduled after the lapse in federal funding earlier this year and on design updates to an upcoming $140-million US-69 reconstruction project in Bryan County following meetings with the Choctaw Nation and the Town of Calera. He also announced that ODOT’s Deputy Director and Chief Financial Officer Russell Hulin will be retiring in June, concluding a 35-year career with the state. Director of Capital Programs Dawn Sullivan will succeed him as Deputy Director, becoming the first woman in the role.
Commissioners voted to award an $11.8-million contract to reconstruct four miles of SH-37 between Minco and Tuttle, a more than $12-million contract to reconstruct nearly five miles of SH-29 east of Marlow and a $15.5-million contract to replace the SH-78 bridge over the Red River in Bryan County in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation. They also approved a $6-million contract to resurface nearly seven miles of SH-3/N.W. Expressway and update the traffic signals at several intersections between SH-74/Lake Hefner Parkway and the John Kilpatrick Turnpike in Oklahoma City.
Altogether, commissioners voted to award 28 contracts totaling nearly $95 million to improve highways, roads and bridges in 21 counties. Contracts were awarded for projects in Caddo, Blaine, Bryan, Choctaw, Cleveland, Coal, Craig, Garvin, Grady, Grant, Kiowa, LeFlore, McIntosh, Nowata, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Stephens, Texas, Tulsa and Washita counties.