October Commission Wrap-Up: Commission approves state, county plans

to continue progress on roads and bridges, $29 million in contracts awarded

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 17, 2019
PR# 19-039

Highlights of the Oklahoma Transportation Commission’s Monday, Oct. 14 meeting include commission approval of three Oklahoma Department of Transportation plans for highway construction and county roads, consideration of school zone updates in more than 10 communities and an update on a visit from a U.S. Senate staffer. Contracts were awarded for projects on I-40 in Oklahoma County and Custer County and on I-35 in McClain County.

The commission voted to approve ODOT’s Eight-year Construction Work Plan for Federal Fiscal Year 2020 – 2027, along with the companion four-year Asset Preservation Plan. The updated $6.5 billion Eight-year Plan continues the agency’s progress on bridges by replacing the state’s remaining structurally deficient bridges and addressing older structures before they become deficient. Additionally, the plan focuses on ODOT’s refined performance goals for improving pavement conditions and modernizing two-lane highways with deficient shoulders. The State Fiscal Year 2020 – 2023 Asset Preservation Plan includes $482 million in projects to extend the life of existing infrastructure through pavement resurfacing and bridge rehabilitation and preservation, as well as accessibility improvements on many highways.

Also approved was the County Improvements for Roads and Bridges Plan for SFY 2020 – 2024. The nearly $1 billion CIRB Plan includes state funding for major county road and bridge projects that individual counties would be unable to fund on their own. Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma Executive Director Gene Wallace spoke in support of the plan and the successful partnership between the state and the counties to address hundreds of very old and structurally deficient county bridges since the program was created in 2006.

As part of the consent docket, commissioners voted to approve school zone updates in more than 10 communities, including Dewey, Okemah and Cement. Gatz informed commissioners that the department is working on more upcoming school zone updates that will provide improved signage and flashing beacons at no cost to the local school districts. He noted that National School Bus Safety Week is in October and urged all drivers to do their part in observing school zone speed limits and stopping as required for buses when students are loading and unloading.

Commissioners also learned that ODOT recently hosted U.S. Sen. James Inhofe’s transportation policy advisor, Dan Hillenbrand, who toured several major highway construction projects. In addition to viewing work at I-235 and I-44 in Oklahoma City and the new Kickapoo Turnpike between I-44/Turner Turnpike and I-40, Hillenbrand got to see some of the critical needs that remain on the highway system, such as the I-40 and I-44 interchange and several structurally deficient bridges on I-40 in Del City.

The commission awarded a $1.4 million contract to resurface nearly three miles of I-40 east of I-35 at the Fort Smith junction in Del City, an $8.6 million contract for more than five miles of resurfacing and bridge rehabilitation on I-40 near Clinton and a nearly $5 million contract to reconstruct the I-35 ramps at SH-74 South in Goldsby.

Commissioners voted to award 21 contracts totaling nearly $29 million to improve highways, roads and bridges in 14 counties. Contracts were awarded for projects in Alfalfa, Choctaw, Custer, Grady, Marshall, McClain, McIntosh, Oklahoma, Osage, Pottawatomie, Stephens, Tulsa, Washita and Woods counties. A list of all awarded contracts can be found by visiting www.odot.org/contracts, selecting the September 2019 AM letting, clicking Go, then Award.

The nine-member Oklahoma Transportation Commission, appointed by the governor and legislative leadership to oversee the state’s transportation development, awards contracts every month for road and bridge construction. The commission’s next meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 4. Contracts, bid information, the commission’s monthly agenda and project details can be viewed at www.odot.org.

At its Monday, Oct. 14 meeting, the Oklahoma Transportation Commission voted to approve the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s Eight-year Construction Work Plan for Federal Fiscal Year 2020 – 2027, along with the companion four-year Asset Preservation Plan. The Eight-year Plan contains $6.5 billion in projects over the next eight years to address highways and bridges statewide and can be found online at www.odot.org under “Programs and Projects.”

-www.odot.org-

(Editors and News Directors: For questions, please call the ODOT Media & Public Relations Division at 405-521-6000.)