Patterson gets pay boost as head of ODOT

The State Transportation Commission voted last week to boost the salary of Oklahoma Department of Transportation Executive Director Mike Patterson from $156,000 to $185,000 a year.

The commissioners went into executive session to discuss Patterson’s work performance. Afterward in their public meeting, they voted unanimously to increase the salary.

“Mr. Patterson has been a vital part of ODOT for many years and the commission recognizes his professionalism following in the footsteps of transportation icons like Sec. Neal McCaleb and Sec. Gary Ridley,” Commission Chairman David Burrage said. “Patterson is credited with a smooth transition as executive director and helping make ODOT a model for other state agencies and DOTs across the country.”

At the same meeting Contracts were awarded for projects including I-40 interchange reconstruction in Sequoyah County and SH-11 bridge rehabilitation in Tulsa County.

The commission voted to award a more than $42 million contract to reconstruct the I-40 interchange at US-64 near Sallisaw in Sequoyah County. The project will also replace the I-40 bridges over the Kansas City Southern railroad and two creeks near the interchange and will address a total of four structurally deficient bridges. Commissioners also awarded a contract for a nearly $9 million project in Tulsa to rehabilitate the SH-11 bridges over the BNSF railroad and Pine St. and the SH-11 ramp over I-244.

Commissioners voted to award 17 contracts totaling more than $76 million to improve highways, roads and bridges in 14 counties. Contracts were awarded for projects in Cherokee, Cotton, Creek, Haskell, Kingfisher, McCurtain, Muskogee, Oklahoma, Pittsburg, Sequoyah, Tillman, Tulsa, Wagoner and Woods counties. A list of all awarded contracts may be found by visiting www.odot.org/contracts, selecting the July 2018 letting and clicking Go and then Award.