The state of Oklahoma has a dedicated source of funding for replacing or fixing outdated bridges. The same is not the case for county and municipal bridges that also need a lot of work.
"The thing is, when you hear about the state bridge list, those are bridges on state highways," said Tulsa County Chief Engineer Tom Rains. "They don't include the municipal and county bridges."
State efforts to balance the budget are having a negative impact on improvements to county and municipal transportation projects.
Rains said millions of dollars have been cut from the program to update and improve roadways and bridges.
"This year, the legislature, in balancing their budget, they took $50 million out of that fund and capped the fund, also, so it really slowed us down," Rains said. "It's going to slow all the counties across Oklahoma down."
Tulsa County has updated its eight-year highway improvement plan, but it could take years to get funding and all necessary approvals for some projects.