The Oklahoma Transportation Commission recently approved a variety of state transportation plans designed to enhance safety and efficiency.
Officials said the Commission granted clearance of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) annually-rebalanced Eight-Year Construction Work Plan and its Asset Preservation Plan as well as the adoption of the updated County Improvements for Roads and Bridges plan and the introduction of the newest member of the Commission.
The Commission also addressed the unveiling of two new public charging stations for electric vehicles, the department’s support of the #justdriveok teen anti-texting campaign and contracts awarding projects for bridge rehabilitation on both I-44 in Oklahoma City and on I-35 near Paoli.
“I don’t think we would be as far along on structurally deficient bridges had it not been for an Eight-Year Construction Work Plan to keep us focused,” Mike Patterson, ODOT Executive Director and Transportation Secretary, said.
ODOT’s Eight-Year Construction Work Plan for Federal Fiscal Years 2019-2026 contains nearly $6.5 billion in planned work on state bridges and highways during the next eight years, officials said. The plan will prioritize critically needed highway projects while updating each year based on projections of available state and federal funding. This year’s plan includes 1,386 projects, construction of more than 720 miles of shoulders or other improvements to two-lane highways and 686 highway bridge replacements or major rehabilitation.
The latest Asset Preservation Plan for State Fiscal Years 2019-2022, which officials describe as a companion to the Eight-Year Construction Work Plan, focuses on preventive maintenance projects designed to extend the life of highway infrastructure.
The plan features nearly 400 projects and includes 44 projects to improve highways to Americans with Disabilities Act standards by constructing curb ramps, sidewalks, and crosswalks and installing traffic signal push buttons for pedestrians.