The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) is moving the start of the Roosevelt Bridge replacement from 2029 to 2026.
Recently, the project received over $300 million in funding from federal grants and state bonds to construct a two-mile, four-lane bridge over Lake Texoma near the existing bridge that connects Bryan and Marshall counties.
“Ideally, putting as much as we can on the 124 million grant, and using as little of bond money as possible would be best for our taxpayers,” Oklahoma district 21 Representative Cody Maynard said.
ODOT engineer Anthony Echelle says more space is needed to handle the 8,500 cars that pass the bridge daily, and says the new bridge will be able to handle that volume of vehicles while also preparing for future growth.
“Into the future that number is going to grow tremendously, so being able to relieve that congestion will offer commuters more reliability,” Echelle said.
Construction is set to begin in 2026 and will take two to three years to complete.
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Source: KXII, TylerPaper.com