The Oklahoma Transportation Commission on Monday gave the green light to the state transportation department’s latest eight-year construction plan.
The work plan covers federal fiscal years 2021 through 2028.
"That plan has over $6 billion and more than 1,300 critical highway and bridge improvement projects included," said Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation and ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz.
The new eight-year plan adjusts some project timelines to deal with an upcoming cut in state funding made to help balance the state budget.
"This is a year when we had some extreme budgetary challenges to deal with. We’ll continue to work with the governor and the legislature to try to make sure that we continue making transportation an investment priority for the state of Oklahoma," Gatz said.
Of interest locally, the latest eight-year plan includes an estimated $30 million in additional work at the I-44 and U.S. 75 interchange in Tulsa and 96th Street North bridge improvements over U.S. 169 in Owasso.
The plan calls for nearly 1,900 total miles of work on state roadways, including more than 800 miles of safety improvements on two-lane highways. It also identifies 609 bridges for rehabilitation or replacement. The state started a concerted effort to repair deficient bridges in 2004, when it ranked 49th in the nation and a woman died after falling concrete struck her vehicle.