Oklahoma Department of Transportation bridge crews began responding within 15 minutes of the 7:44 p.m. Sunday 5.0-magnitude earthquake just west of Cushing in Payne County.
Crews visually inspected 110 state highway system bridges within a 30-mile radius of the earthquake’s epicenter and found no damage.
ODOT leadership also reached out to county and city officials to offer assistance with inspections. Two City of Cushing bridges were inspected by ODOT, also with no damage found.
Several of the state highway bridges closest to the epicenter have been replaced or rehabilitated as part of the department’s ongoing efforts to lessen the number of structurally deficient bridges in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma highway bridges are built to national standards and are designed to withstand some amount of vibration. The department revised its earthquake inspection policy earlier this year after intensive data gathering confirmed that bridges impacted by earthquakes of 4.6 magnitude and less were not sustaining damage.
Inspectors respond to earthquakes ranking at 4.7 magnitude and higher, widening the inspection radius based on the earthquake’s magnitude.
To learn more about ODOT’s earthquake inspection process, see https://www.ok.gov/odot/Earthquakes.html
