September Commission Wrap-Up
New Eight-year Plan includes more pavement work; more than $100 million in contracts awarded
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2015
PR# 15-040
Highlights of the Oklahoma Transportation Commission’s Tuesday, Sept. 8 meeting include presentation of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s updated Eight-year Construction Work Plan and Asset Preservation Plan, a report on federal funding and commission approval of contracts for replacement of a bridge near Tishomingo, rehabilitation of city street bridges over the Inner Dispersal Loop in Tulsa, bridge rehabilitation near Sand Springs and highway and bridge reconstruction on US-75 south of Okmulgee.
The commission gave approval to ODOT’s Federal Fiscal Year 2016-2023 Eight-year Construction Work Plan which contains nearly $6.5 billion in highway and bridge improvements over the next eight years. Together with the State Fiscal Year 2016-2019 Asset Preservation Plan, the Eight-year Plan focuses on the state’s remaining structurally deficient highway bridges and transitioning into putting more resources toward improving pavement conditions like resurfacing interstates and adding paved shoulders to two-lane highways.
Executive Director Mike Patterson thanked commissioners for their support of the Eight-year Plan and noted that the projects in the plan would not be possible without reliable transportation funding. While the state legislature and governor have approved increased funding for transportation in recent years, the lack of a long-term federal funding solution has made it difficult to plan projects. Patterson noted that the DRIVE Act, a transportation bill currently being considered by Congress, would provide six years of federal funding and a grant program that would allow Oklahoma to apply for funds to help improve major freight corridors.
The commission voted to award a contract with an $8.3 million base bid and financial incentives for early completion to replace the US-377/SH-99 bridge over the Washita River in Johnston County. The bridge south of Tishomingo has been closed since early May due to flood damage. Since the bridge was already planned for replacement in Federal Fiscal Year 2018, this project was advanced to get construction started and the route between Tishomingo and Madill open to traffic as soon as possible.
Several highway improvements will be coming to the Tulsa area, thanks to commission approval of a contract with a nearly $30 million base bid for highway and bridge reconstruction on US-75 south of Okmulgee, a more than $4 million contract for rehabilitation of three city street bridges over the south leg of the Inner Dispersal Loop in Tulsa and nearly $6 million contract for bridge rehabilitation on US-64 west of Sand Springs. These contracts include possible financial incentives for early completion. Commissioners also approved contracts for resurfacing on US-62 near Blanchard in Grady County, reconstruction and widening of US-183/US-270 near Mutual in Woodward County and bridge replacement on US-70 near Broken Bow in McCurtain County.
In all, commissioners awarded 20 contracts totaling more than $100 million to improve bridges, highways, interstates and roads in 15 counties. Contracts were awarded for projects in Caddo, Carter, Choctaw, Comanche, Grady, Jefferson, Johnston, Kiowa, McCurtain, Okmulgee, Rogers, Stephens, Tulsa, Wagoner and Woodward counties.
At its Tuesday, Sept. 8 meeting, the Oklahoma Transportation Commission approved a contract for a construction project toreplace the US-377/SH-99 bridge over the Washita River south of Tishomingo, pictured here. The bridge was submerged and damaged during the summer flooding and has been closed to traffic since early May. The replacement project was expedited from Federal Fiscal Year 2018 in order to start construction as soon as possible.
