November Commission Meeting Wrap-Up: Seat belt campaign kicks off; more than $125 million in projects awarded
Highlights of the Oklahoma Transportation Commission’s Monday, Nov. 2 meeting include a briefing on several interim studies, a kickoff of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s statewide seat belt safety campaign and an update on a US-69 reconstruction project in Muskogee.
ODOT Interim Executive Director T.J. Dill touched on interim studies on artificial intelligence and accountability; considerations to make US-70 a historic highway; wrong-way driving and the challenges of how to fund and manage the future of our infrastructure system.
Sponsored by Sen. Darcy Jech, the department joined the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and other government leadership in discussing the latter interim study of inflationary pressure on transportation construction. While inflation and increased costs are having an impact on how the department moves forward on deciding which projects to build and how to continue maintaining, it will always find innovative ways to improve infrastructure.
“We have to be prepared to look to the future of how we’re going to fund and manage our infrastructure system,” Dill said. “The study gave us a good opportunity to showcase how impactful the inflationary pressure has been on ODOT and how that looks differently in heavy highway construction compared to the consumer price index. It’s not going to change the way we continue to manage our system. It’s going to change the way that we invest the funds that we are given.”
Dill briefed the commission on the department’s efforts to encourage seat belt use. The “Never Skip the Click” campaign is a group effort with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, Department of Public Safety, Oklahoma Highway Safety Office, Service Oklahoma, Oklahoma Challenge and community advocates across the state to turn a two-second decision into a life-saving habit to buckle up every time. Oklahoma currently ranks 39th in the nation for seat belt usage. More information on the campaign can be found here.
Commissioners were also briefed on a US-69 pavement reconstruction project in Muskogee that started last weekend. The project began with the removal of an old railroad bridge which required all lanes of US-69 to shut down – a task completed in less than 14 hours. Now back open, US-69 is narrowed to one lane in each direction and will be for the two-year length of the project. Ultimately, this project will widen the corridor to six lanes and replace the bridge, which is part of the local trail system. Drivers can use SH-165 and US-62 to bypass the work zone.
Drivers can view or subscribe to receive traffic advisories via email by signing up at www.oklahoma.gov/odot or can follow ODOT on X or Facebook.
Commissioners voted to award 8 contracts totaling more than $125 million to improve interstates, highways and bridges statewide. The public may access a list of all awarded contracts at the ODOT Business Center. View October’s Commission meeting on Vimeo.
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.
The next Oklahoma Transportation Commission meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 7. The meeting will be available to view live via Ustream and past meetings are available on YouTube and vimeo.com/odot.
