DALLAS - The Oklahoma Transportation Commission has approved a $6.3 billion plan that will provide funding for nearly 2,000 projects over the next eight years, including repairs to deficient bridges.
The plan approved Sept. 8 by the Oklahoma Transportation Commission continues a decade-long effort to reduce the number of structurally deficient highway bridges. Ten years ago, Oklahoma ranked among the worst states in the nation for bad bridges, with no solution in sight, according to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
Since then, the number of deficient bridges has fallen from a record 1,168 to 468 at the end of last year.
"ODOT is committed to staying the course so Oklahoma can begin the next decade as one of the top states for good highway bridges in the nation," ODOT executive director Mike Patterson said in a prepared statement.
One of the most significant projects in the plan is replacement of the James C. Nance bridge over the Canadian River between Purcell and Lexington, Okla. The 75-year-old bridge was closed for more than four months earlier this year for emergency repairs and is now limited to loads of 36 tons or less. Construction of a new bridge, which was originally thought to be 10 years away, is being expedited by ODOT and has been advanced to Federal Fiscal Year 2018 in the plan, officials said.
The plan also continues investment in major metro area highway and interstate projects, ODOT said. New projects include five miles of pavement rehabilitation on Interstate 44 in southwest Oklahoma City and $13 million rehabilitation of several US 75 bridges in Tulsa, both scheduled for federal fiscal year 2022.
The eight-year plan is updated annually to reflect project completions, adjustments in projected revenue and changes in construction costs, ODOT said. As the previous fiscal year comes off of the plan, another year is added based on forecasting of available federal and state funding.
Another program called the Four-year Asset Preservation Plan is also updated each year with improvements designed extend the life cycle of highways and bridges through preventative maintenance.
Continued investment in maintenance and preservation of the state's transportation system is much more effective and efficient than deferring maintenance, which often results in costly reconstruction in the future, officials said.
Oklahoma carries general obligation ratings of AA-plus from Standard & Poor's and Aa2 from Moody's Investors Service. Outlooks are stable.
