Secretary of Transportation and ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz briefed commissioners on Gov. Kevin Stitt’s recent announcement of Oklahoma’s Top Ten State ranking in highway bridge conditions, the achievement of a longtime ODOT goal to address the structurally deficient bridges on the highway system. The governor addressed the commission by video and noted that Oklahoma improved from 49th place nationally for highway bridge conditions in 2004 to 9th place in 2019.
Gatz commented on several major projects that will affect traffic in the state’s two metropolitan areas. Work recently began to replace six I-40 bridges in Del City and to rehabilitate I-44 south of I-40 and a SH-152/Airport Road ramp in southwest Oklahoma City. The first phase of reconstruction of the I-44 and US-75 interchange and modernization of the I-44 corridor in Tulsa is expected to begin in 2021 and take more than two years to complete.
Gatz also announced that the agency was recently honored with an award from the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials for a partnership with law enforcement and the energy industry to improve safety on SH-33 between Kingfisher and Watonga. The SH-33 Safety Corridor included additional signage, increased enforcement and public education in the community to make drivers more aware of heavy oilfield truck traffic in the area.
The commission voted to award a contract for a $90 million project to widen I-44 and replace five bridges between Union Ave. and the west end of the Arkansas River bridge in Tulsa. This first phase in reconstruction of the I-44 and US-75 interchange is the single largest construction contract for a highway project in Tulsa and made possible thanks to a federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant awarded to ODOT in 2018.
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Commissioners also approved contracts for an $18-million project to rehabilitate nearly six miles of I-40 pavement near Okemah and a $6-million project to resurface eight miles of US-69 between Oktaha and Muskogee.
Commissioners voted to award 17 contracts totaling nearly $144 million to improve highways, roads, and bridges in 15 counties. Contracts were awarded for projects in Beckham, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Grady, LeFlore, Logan, Love, McIntosh, Muskogee, Okfuskee, Pittsburg, Tulsa, Woods, and Woodward counties.
