The Oklahoma Transportation Commission has set the gears in motion for a significant upgrade to state transportation, approving an almost $9 billion plan for highway improvements over the next eight years. The update to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation's (ODOT) Eight-Year Construction Work Plan covers federal fiscal years 2025-2032 and targets critical infrastructure, including 632 bridges and approximately 3,800 miles of pavement, as reported by the ODOT.
During the Monday meeting, ODOT's Executive Director, Tim Gatz, acknowledged the challenges inflation poses to project estimates. "The inflationary spike that we are seeing makes it very challenging for us to keep pace with estimate adjustments when rebalancing the Work Plan and creating confident funding projections," he said, according to an ODOT report. While some project schedules have shifted, the overall plan remains intact. The plan also allocates nearly $500 million for asset preservation from 2024 to 2027, aimed at extending the life of Oklahoma's highways through maintenance such as pavement resurfacing and bridge rehabilitation.
A further $292 million has been awarded in contracts to bolster roads and bridges across Oklahoma. The beast of the bunch is a nearly $252 million contract for the revamp of the I-44 and US-75 interchange in Tulsa, a project reportedly poised to start in spring 2025. The project is not just ambitious in scope but, with previous injections of federal funding, reflects a move towards modernizing Oklahoma's critical transportation nodes.
ODOT highlighted that Transportation Alternative Projects are also getting a boost, with over $35 million dedicated to 43 projects to promote connectivity. These include building sidewalks and trails and designing safe routes for schools. On the legislative front, federal highway funding is maintained under a continuing resolution until December. Meanwhile, a $2.4 million I-40 over I-44 bridge rehabilitation in Oklahoma City is on the cards, with a spring 2025 start date on ODOT's schedule.
Public access to the full plan details is facilitated through ODOT's website, under the "Programs and Projects" tab. The next commission meeting, where more updates are expected, will be streamed live from the ODOT website on November 4, 2024. With these developments, the commissions' plans are manifesting into tangible changes aimed at renovating the state's framework for movement and connection, piece by piece infrastructure.
