The Oklahoma Transportation Commission approved approximately $9 billion in highway construction and safety projects in the newest edition of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation's (ODOT) Eight-Year Construction Work Plan.
“Our Eight-Year Plan serves as a guide for the department’s construction and maintenance efforts and allows us to ensure we are addressing as many transportation needs as we can statewide,” said ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz. “Our main focus continues to be safety and reliability, and we are working to enhance safety by improving interchanges, adding shoulders to rural two-lane highways and addressing bridges statewide.”
Oklahoma took inflation and the changing economic climate in supply costs into consideration and adjusted the plan accordingly. Construction costs increased over 60% since 2022. While some projects have been redistributed in the plan due to the increases, no projects were removed from the construction plan.
This marks the 22nd edition of the Eight-Year Construction Work Plan. Since its inception, ODOT has made major impacts to the safety and quality of the state’s transportation system. Oklahoma’s number of structurally deficient bridges has decreased from 1,168 bridges to fewer than 50, which are schedule to be addressed in the Eight-Year Plan, and Oklahoma continues to rank in the top 10 in the nation for good bridge conditions.
Also presented Monday was the Four-Year Asset Preservation Plan, which includes nearly $500 million in investments for preventative maintenance aimed at extending the life of the state’s highway system in Fiscal Years 2025-2028. Asset preservation projects include pavement resurfacing, rehabilitation and bridge rehabilitation, painting and joint-sealing. The $494 million plan has 276 projects addressing 81 highway bridges and will resurface 1,964 miles of pavement.
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Source: ODOT, NewsChannel6Now.com
