December Commission Meeting Wrap-Up: US-81 Chickasha Bypass approved for $85 million; $132 million in projects awarded
PR #25-041
Highlights of the Oklahoma Transportation Commission’s Monday, Dec.8 meeting include receiving an industry bridge award, briefing on a job market study and approving safety improvements in Grady and Okmulgee counties.
The Association of Oklahoma General Contractors presented the 2025 Pharaoh Award to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s District 5 in western Oklahoma. The nearly $19 million project was a bridge reconstruction project on I-40 and Airport Road in Weatherford. The award is shared with Frontier Bridge. The Pharaoh Award is presented for the highest quality bridge structure in the state of Oklahoma in the past year. It is offered by AOGC as a tribute to the Pharaoh family of Henryetta, considered to be pioneers in the bridge construction industry.
ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz announced the implementation of a recent job market compensation study which calls for an employee salary adjustment driven by the market force. The adjustment will move employee compensation levels toward a target of 90% of current market standards. The department is facing costly recruitment and retention issues primarily driven by turnover and generational retirements. The cost to the department will be $8.8 million and will take effect in January 2026.
“We have seen some pretty significant compensation gaps develop in our job classes. Specifically getting engineers and heavy equipment operators in the door and then retaining them long enough to be trained and to advance in their respective job classes is extremely important,” Gatz said. “That's why we've got to continue to be diligent about consideration of pay and the true operational costs of losing highly trained professional and skilled workers.”
Commissioners approved an $85 million project to realign US-81 in Chickasha. This first three-year phase will build a new bypass, create new lanes to connect US-81 to US-62/SH-9 and construct nine new bridges. Drivers will notice major earthwork starting in early 2026.
Commissioners also approved a more than $11 million project to correct curves and convert the US-75 interchange at Preston Rd. into a controlled-access interchange in Okmulgee County. The project is anticipated to begin early next year.
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.
Commissioners voted to award 21 contracts totaling more than $132 million to improve interstates, highways and bridges statewide. The public may access a list of all awarded contracts at the ODOT Business Center or in PDF format Nov. 13 and Nov. 20.
The next Oklahoma Transportation Commission meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 5. The meeting will be available to view live via Ustream and past meetings are available on YouTube and vimeo.com/odot.
At Monday’s Oklahoma Transportation Commission meeting, the Association of Oklahoma General Contractors presented the 2025 Pharaoh Award to ODOT’s District 5 in western Oklahoma. The nearly $19 million project was a bridge reconstruction project on I-40 and Airport Road in Weatherford. The Pharaoh Award is presented for the highest quality bridge structure in the state of Oklahoma in the past year.
Pictured are Bobby Stem, Association of Oklahoma General Contractors Executive Director; Spencer Flatt, Frontier Bridge; Will Nedbalek, CEC Engineering, formerly with District 5; Will Snipes, District 5 Engineer; David Dyson, District 5 Commissioner and Vice-Chairman; Kent Pharaoh, award family namesake; Raymond Flatt, Frontier Bridge; Tim Gatz, ODOT Executive Director and T.J. Dill, ODOT Chief Engineer.
