The Oklahoma Transportation Commission was warned this week that budget cuts signed into law last month by the governor will undoubtedly slow progress in many road and bridge projects.
The projects fall under the state’s County Improvements for roads and Bridges program.
“While no future projects have been removed from the five-year CIRB plan due to these funding reductions so far, the cuts have put the CIRB fund in the red and in the position that progress will be slowed on contracts for planned county projects going forward,” said Mike Patterson, Executive Director of the Department of Transportation.
Since the CIRB program was created in 2006, major construction has been performed on 496 county bridges and 662 miles of county roads. But as Patterson pointed out, the program has also taken significant cuts in funding since 2015 with a total of $230 million transferred out of the fund to help balance the state budget.
Commissioners approved contracts for projects on I-235 and I-44 in Oklahoma City, US-169 near Owasso and US-75 in Tulsa. Also awarded were contracts for improvements to US-81 in Kingfisher County, US-77 in Garvin County and I-44 in Comanche County.
Commissioners voted to award contracts for the widening of the northbound I-235 off-ramp to N. 23rd St. and rehabilitation of the westbound I-44 bridge/ramp over SH-66 and SH-74 in Oklahoma City. Contracts were approved for Tulsa area projects including resurfacing of more than three miles of US-169 near Owasso and rehabilitation of the Peoria Ave. bridge over US-75 in Tulsa. The commission also awarded contracts for reconstruction of more than three miles of US-81 near Kingfisher, replacement of the US-77 bridge over the Washita River near Wynnewood and resurfacing of more than three miles of I-44 in Lawton.
Commissioners voted to award 54 contracts totaling nearly $87 million to improve highways, roads and bridges in 35 counties. Contracts were awarded for projects in Adair, Caddo, Canadian, Cherokee, Comanche, Cotton, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Garvin, Grady, Harper, Jackson, Kay, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Lincoln, Major, Marshall, Mayes, Muskogee, Noble, Oklahoma, Osage, Pawnee, Pittsburg, Roger Mills, Seminole, Sequoyah, Texas, Tulsa, Washington, Washita, Woods and Woodward counties. A list of all awarded contracts may be found by visiting www.odot.org/contracts, selecting the February 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, April 2.
