OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — Highlights of the Oklahoma Transportation Commission’s recent meeting include an update on the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) Eight-Year Construction Work Plan, a briefing on the department’s ongoing effort to develop the state’s first public transit plan with service providers and stakeholders and announcement of a federal grant for a county bridge project.

Secretary of Transportation and ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz gave an update on the ongoing process of rebalancing the agency’s Eight-Year Plan, which includes reprioritizing and adding highway projects based on needs and available state and federal funding. Transportation Commissioners, together with the department’s Field Division Engineers, have been reviewing proposed projects in their areas for changes in scope and cost estimates to create a balanced statewide plan.

Commission members were notified that the U.S. Department of Transportation recently awarded a $3.5-million Competitive Highway Bridge Program grant for a proposal submitted by ODOT in partnership with Grant County to replace 34 structurally deficient county bridges in a single project.

The commission also highlighted two agency accomplishments: an aerial photograph taken by ODOT of the SkyDance bridge over the I-40 Crosstown in Oklahoma City, which recently received top honors from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Standing Committee on Transportation Communications; and a department publication about the history of Red River crossings between Oklahoma and Texas, which earned national recognition from the Legislative Research Librarians committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The commission approved a $1.5-million engineering contract to design modifications to the I-35 service roads between Memorial Road and US-77/SH-66/2nd Street in Edmond to improve safety and traffic flow. Commissioners also voted to award a nearly $10-million contract to reconstruct and add paved shoulders to four miles of SH-33/SH-3 near Watonga and a $1.5-million contract for preventative maintenance work on several I-44, I-244 and US-75 bridges in Tulsa.

Commissioners voted to award 14 contracts totaling nearly $45 million to improve highways, roads and bridges in 11 counties. Contracts were awarded for projects in Blaine, Creek, Custer, Ellis, Grady, Oklahoma, Pittsburg, Sequoyah, Tillman, Tulsa and Washington counties. The Oklahoma Transportation Commission oversees the state’s transportation development and awards contracts every month for road and bridge construction.