The assessment of flood damage throughout Oklahoma is continuing but Oklahoma Transportation Commission members know the repairs will carry a large price tag.
Pictured above is the damage to highway US 62 between Muskogee and Fort Gibson. The highway was closed for more than a week due to flooding of the Arkansas River.
Tim Gatz, Executive Director of the Department of Transportation said 150 highway closures in 38 counties occurred due to flooding or storm damage since mid-April. He said as many as 60 or more were closed at one time.
Flooding of the Arkansas River cut off the cities and communities of Miami, Muskogee, Fort Gibson, Braggs and Webbers Falls.
Transportation Commissioners awarded $138 million for 38 highway and bridge improvement projects. A $36 million contract to rehabilitate 6.5 miles of Interstate 40 near Vian was among them.
So was the $16 million reconstruction project on US-60 near Bartlesville. A $9 million ramp improvement project on I-35 at Ladd Road near Goldsby won approval too. Contracts for resurfacing on US 286 near Boise City, I-35 near Wynnewood and US 69 near Checotah were also okayed by the commissioners.
Contracts were awarded for projects in Blaine, Canadian, Choctaw, Cimarron, Cleveland, Cotton, Garvin, Harmon, Haskell, Jackson, Johnston, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Lincoln, McClain, McIntosh, Marshall, Nowata, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Ottawa, Pawnee, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Seminole, Sequoyah, Stephens, Tillman, Wagoner and Washington counties.