The recent winter storm that rolled into Oklahoma dumping up to a foot of snow in some regions resulted in $8 million spent by the State Transportation Department road crews in clearing roads and highways.
ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz briefed transportation commissioners this week on the agency’s response to the recent winter storm which was characterized by prolonged freezing temperatures with various snow and ice events across the state.
Gatz said road crews used 44,000 ton s of salt and sand and more than 507,000 gallons of brine totaling more than $2.5 million in material costs. He noted this particular storm was not only challenging but the fluctuating temperatures melted the snow which would refreeze into black ice overnight or in shady areas, requiring some crews to stay deployed even after the storm had ended. As of Monday, more than 50,000 hours had been spent battling the storm.
“I want to absolutely commend our field districts on their preparation for this storm and their execution. The men and women of ODOT worked tirelessly until the highways were clear,” Gatz said.
An unfortunate result of this storm, he noted, was the number of plows hit across the state.
ODOT had five vehicles damaged, its Oklahoma City metro contractor had two and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority also had five. No serious injuries were reported.
“That many crashes is a disturbing trend. Driver inattention and speeding put our crew’s safety and others at risk. Not only that but it also takes trucks out of service when we need them the most,” Gatz said. “We’re going to continue to ask for the traveling public’s help to pay attention to the plow trucks and the operations and give them room to maneuver.” Most of the crashes were with commercial motor vehicles.
During inclement weather, drivers are advised to stay weather-aware, avoid driving if at all possible and use the free Drive Oklahoma app to check road conditions. The app can be downloaded on any IOS or Android device. Drivers can also visit okroads.org to view conditions via snowplow cameras during weather events.
Winter weather also impacts infrastructure and exacerbates the potential for potholes. Gatz noted that the repeated freeze-thaw cycle during the winter will contribute to more potholes and work zones in the coming months.
Commissioners approved a $30.5 million project to add shoulders and resurface 9 miles of SH-33 east of Kingfisher, making this one step closer to having continuous shoulder coverage between Kingfisher and Guthrie. Work is expected to start late spring and will take a little under a year and a half to complete. Drivers can view or subscribe to receive traffic advisories by email at www.oklahoma.gov/odot or follow ODOT on X or Facebook.
The nine-member Oklahoma Transportation Commission, appointed by the governor and legislative leadership to oversee the state’s transportation development, awards contracts monthly for road and bridge construction.
Commissioners voted to award 24 contracts totaling nearly $140 million to improve interstates, highways and bridges statewide. The public may access a list of all awarded contracts at the ODOT Business Center https://oklahoma.gov/odot/business-center/contracts-and-proposals.html
The next Oklahoma Transportation Commission meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday, March 2. The meeting will be available to view live via Ustream and past meetings are available on YouTube and vimeo.com/odot.