June Commission Wrap-Up: Safety awards presented; Improvements coming to Santa Fe Depot in Oklahoma
Nearly $75 million in contracts awarded
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2018
PR# 18-024
Highlights of the Oklahoma Transportation Commission’s Monday, June 4 meeting include presentation of the 2017 Safety Awards to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation divisions and crews with the best safety records, recognition by AgileAssets for best use of the company’s maintenance management software and a reminder to drivers to secure their loads. Contracts were awarded for projects to improve the Santa Fe Depot in Oklahoma City and highway work on SH-29 in Stephens County, US-60 in Garfield County and I-40 in Washita County.
Secretary of Transportation and ODOT Executive Director Mike Patterson and Safety Manager John Coleman honored the agency’s division and crews with the best safety records in the past year with the 2017 Safety Awards. The Governor’s Safety Excellence Award was presented to ODOT’s Clinton-based Division Five, which had an exceptional record of zero lost man hours due to accidents in the past year. Division Two, headquartered in Antlers, earned the Progressive Excellence Award for the division with the most improved safety rating. The Director’s Safety Awards were also presented to the individual units in ODOT’s eight field divisions and Oklahoma City headquarters with the best safety records.
The department was recognized by AgileAssets for earning the company’s top honor in the national Award of Excellence in Infrastructure Asset Management competition in April. The AXIAM award recognized ODOT for best use of the company’s software in managing highway maintenance resources and costs. The department competed against six other state and local government entities nationally. The AgileAssets system is used by ODOT to help track all maintenance-related data.
In his report to the commission, Patterson highlighted a nationwide campaign in partnership with Keep Oklahoma Beautiful, Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and Oklahoma Highway Safety Office to remind drivers to properly secure their loads when traveling. He noted that there’s been an increase in large pieces of debris on the highway resulting from unsecured loads. Patterson spoke to the danger that debris on the roadway poses, not only to drivers, but also to the highway workers and law enforcement officers who must stop and remove the debris as traffic passes by.
The commission voted to award a more than $2 million contract for accessibility improvements to the Santa Fe Depot in Oklahoma City using federal funding and local funding from the City of Oklahoma City. The station will become a multimodal transportation hub for the city and serves the state’s passenger rail service, the Heartland Flyer.
Commissioners also approved contracts for a $12.5 million project to reconstruct more than four miles of SH-29 east of Marlow in Stephens County, a nearly $11 million project to replace the US-60 bridge over the BNSF railroad in Enid and an $8.5 million project to resurface eight miles of I-40 between Foss and Elk City in Washita County.
Commissioners voted to award 23 contracts totaling nearly $75 million to improve highways, roads and bridges in 20 counties. Contracts were awarded for projects in Alfalfa, Blaine, Choctaw, Cleveland, Creek, Garfield, Hughes, Kay, Kiowa, Logan, Love, McClain, Oklahoma, Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Seminole, Stephens, Washita, Woods and Woodward counties. A list of all awarded contracts may be found by visiting www.odot.org/contracts, selecting the May 2018 letting and clicking Go and then Award.
The eight-member panel, appointed by the governor to oversee the state’s transportation development, awards project contracts for road and bridge construction every month. The commission’s next regular meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday, July 2.
Contracts, bid information, the commission’s monthly agenda and project details can be viewed at www.odot.org.
At the Monday, June 4 meeting of the Oklahoma Transportation Commission, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation was recognized by AgileAssets for earning the company’s top honor in the Award of Excellence in Infrastructure Asset Management competition in April. The department competed for the award against six other state and local government entities. Pictured from left are AgileAssets Resident Consultant Ross Powers, ODOT Assistant Maintenance Division Engineer Alex Calvillo, ODOT Maintenance Division Administrative Programs Manager Stephanie Richardson, AgileAssets Vice President of Project Management Michael Lester and ODOT Executive Director Mike Patterson.
At its Monday, June 4 meeting, the Oklahoma Transportation Commission approved a more than $2 million contract for accessibility improvements to the Santa Fe Depot in Oklahoma City using federal funding and local funding from the City of Oklahoma City. The station serves the state’s passenger rail service, the Heartland Flyer.
(Editors and News Directors: For more information, call the ODOT Media and Public Relations Division at 405-521-6000.)
