Oklahoma
Bridges and Highways
Oklahoma’s State Highway Transportation Infrastructure
Preface
The State owned highway system in Oklahoma is comprised of the State numbered route highways, the US
numbered route highways and the interstate highway system. The state system of highways encompasses
12,265 centerline miles as measured in one direction along the dividing stripe of two lane facilities and in one
direction along the general median of multilane facilities. Transportation on our highways is also facilitated
via 6,788 bridge structures that span major rivers and lakes, named and unnamed perennial streams and creeks,
other roads and highways and railroads. On the average, passenger vehicles, buses and light and heavy trucks
traveled more than 66 million vehicle miles each day (daily vehicle miles traveled or DVMT) in 2010 on the
non-toll highways in the State of Oklahoma.
As the information in this update is considered, it is important to reflect on the conditions, experiences and
occurrences that previously defined a highway system in a state of unmanageable disrepair along with the
initiative, efforts and dedication that have fueled the improvements we are witnessing today.
While improvements are occurring, Oklahoma’s highway system bridge and pavement problems are readily
recognized and are a direct result of many years of “deferred maintenance” due to a lack of funding. From
1985 to 2005 state transportation investment was quite simply flat. As a result the condition of the
infrastructure experienced a consistent, downward spiral and decline that will take many years of committed,
focused and dedicated resources to correct. Prior to 2005 the problem was quickly becoming overwhelming
with no viable solution. At that time highway pavements were deteriorating at a rate beyond repair, let alone
reconstruction and more than 1,500 of our highway bridges were structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.
In January 2006, 137 of those bridge structures across Oklahoma were posted as unable to carry a legally
loaded truck.
Understanding that a world class transportation system is the cornerstone of a vibrant economy, a defining
quality of life element and a leading factor in growing and attracting new business, the Oklahoma Legislature
clearly decided that investing in transportation infrastructure should be a priority of state government. In 2005
these policy makers set about the important business of reversing the devastating trend of the previous 20 years
and several pieces of landmark transportation legislation were subsequently crafted and passed. These
transportation funding initiatives have introduced new state resources reserved for the construction, care and
maintenance of our transportation infrastructure and are unequivocally responsible for the positive results being
experienced by travelers on the state highway system.
If these trends are sustained and enhanced, these growing revenue streams represent the true turning point for
the future of Oklahoma’s transportation assets. Today, the Department is afforded the opportunity to develop
an investment strategy and direct a multi-faceted plan that wisely and transparently dedicates the available state
and federal transportation resources in a balanced manner. This strategy represents a monumental effort to
return not only Oklahoma’s bridges, but the highway system as a whole to a state of good function, safety and
repair and keep it that way.
Please enjoy the progress described in this update, understand the challenges that lie ahead and most
importantly, accept our deepest appreciation for your interest in and support for Oklahoma’s transportation
system.
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Oklahoma
Bridges
Oklahoma’s Transportation Infrastructure
Condition and Needs Summary
Oklahoma’s bridge problem is well recognized. Of the more than 6,700 bridges on the state highway system,
1,290 are either too narrow to support today’s traffic or have structural deficiencies, or both. Over the last
several decades, Oklahoma consistently ranked at or near the bottom of the list of states with the nation’s worst
bridge conditions. Crumbling transportation infrastructure and deficient bridges have a detrimental impact on
Oklahoma commerce, job creation and economic growth and can even endanger our citizens.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has accelerated bridge replacement efforts through a focused and
concerted effort made possible by additional state funding provided by the Legislature. This effort has allowed
the Department to replace or rehab 626 bridges since January 2006. Even with this progress and our best
efforts to gain control of the bridge infrastructure deterioration curve, the conditional problems caused by 20
years of flat state transportation funding continue. An evaluation of the most recent bridge inspection cycle
and December 31, 2010 reporting reveals that an estimated 293 structurally deficient bridges were still
unfunded in the 2011-2018 Construction Work Plan.
The current 2012-2019 Construction Work Plan includes the replacement or major rehabilitation of 799
bridges which includes an additional 126 that are structurally deficient.
Proposed bridge replacements / major rehabilitations in the 8 Year Construction Work Plan .............799
416 structurally deficient bridges are included.
The Department has always envisioned the development of an aggressive bridge rehabilitation program
formulated to effect badly needed improvements on marginal bridges, but never possessed the resources
required to launch a meaningful initiative. The Department has instituted a bridge specific program designed to
be flexible and somewhat reactive. This bridge rehabilitation program allows the Department to stretch our
scarce regular maintenance dollars farther. At the same time, the program has proven effective in slowing or
stemming further deterioration or functional decline of borderline bridge infrastructure and enhances the ability
to manage these transportation assets in a manner that maximizes their life cycle.
Annual investment in bridge rehabilitation.....................................................................................$30 Million
While these efforts exemplify the wise investment of the available resources, today the Department recognizes
294 bridges that are not in the current 2012-2019 Construction Work Plan in need of complete rehabilitation or
replacement including 167 that are currently structurally deficient. Also, we must consider that a continuing
long term annual bridge replacement commitment will be required to keep pace with the projected aging and
deterioration rates of our current inventory.
Low Sufficiency, Narrow and Structurally Deficient bridges not funded……..........................................294
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Built in 1932
Comanche County
SH-17 over Whiskey Creek
Structurally Deficient Bridge
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Johnston County
SH-22 over Butcher Pen Creek
Structurally Deficient Bridge
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Alfalfa County
SH-8 over Driftwood Creek
Structurally Deficient Bridge
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Woods County
US-281 over Cimarron River
Structurally Deficient Bridge
Highways & Safety
Oklahoma’s Transportation Infrastructure
Condition and Needs Summary
Oklahoma’s rural nature and historically agricultural based economy has witnessed the conversion of many farm-to-market
roads and bridges into highways. While these roads were ideal for transporting livestock and crops to market 70 years ago,
they are less than adequate when supporting today’s heavier trucks, increased traffic demands and higher operating speeds.
Over 4,600 miles of Oklahoma highways are two-lane facilities without paved shoulders.
Shoulders and roadway improvements to two-lane highways without paved shoulders in the 8 Year Construction
Work Plan…………………………………………………………………………………………….……………….617 miles
Traffic on our major highways has increased dramatically in the past two decades and is expected to continue to compound
for the foreseeable future. The daily vehicle miles traveled on facilities with more than two lanes in 2010 was 47.75 million
miles. Improvements to these facilities are often our most expensive and resource consuming projects, but also yield high
returns and have an immediate impact on regional traffic patterns. Over 239 miles of interstate pavement have experienced
significant rehabilitation or reconstruction since 2003 and an additional 89 miles are included in the Construction Work Plan.
Surface, operational and capacity improvements to high-volume major highways in the 8 Year Construction Work
Plan (estimated total investment)..........................................................................................................................$1.86 Billion
The greatest potential for tragic crossover accidents exists on divided high volume, high speed road and by the end of 2007
crossover collisions were responsible for 39 fatalities. In an effort to dramatically reduce these types of collisions the
department began an initiative that same year to install cable median barrier along divided high volume, high speed roads.
Beginning with the pilot cable barrier project in 2001 the department has completed or has under construction 480 miles of
cable median barrier. By the end of 2010 fatalities resulting from crossover collisions had been reduced by 82%. Although
one fatality is one too many, our efforts to protect drivers from crossing open medians has been tremendously successful and
will continue where funding is available.
Cable Median Barrier scheduled……………………………………………………...................................................83 miles
Much like our bridges, our pavement surfaces require systematic rehabilitative attention in order to maximize the life cycle of
our highways. In the past it has been impossible for the Department to afford the consideration of such initiatives. As
budgetary conditions improve we can invest in and develop a timely surface rehabilitation program with a focus on extending
the life of our pavements.
Annual investment in surface rehabilitation...........................................................................................................$65 Million
Based on an evaluation of safety features such as passing opportunities, adequate sight distances, existence of paved
shoulders, recovery areas for errant vehicles, and the severity of hills and curves about 31% or approximately 3,859 of our
12,265 miles of highway rate as critical or inadequate which includes 3,360 miles of two-lane highway. Even with the
improvements scheduled in the current 8-Year Construction Work Plan over 3,160 miles of inadequate highway will remain
unaddressed. To put this distance in the proper perspective, that is the equivalent of driving from Tulsa to Santa Barbara,
California and back on a highway with deteriorated pavement or sharp curves, no shoulders, steep hills, blind intersections or
high traffic demands. Hundreds of millions of dollars of improvements to our high volume arterial freeways will also go
unfunded as the department cannot afford to be proactive or even effectively reactive to these expensive needs. The safety of
our transportation system and the traveling public is paramount to our mission and always has our full attention, but many
highway safety improvements that could prevent property damage, personal injuries and the tragic loss of life will remain
unattended.
Remaining inadequate highways with no improvements scheduled....................................................3,160 miles
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Progress Summary
Performance management, asset management, investment strategy, system analysis, and transparent
reporting are primary terms often used in developing and managing business. Today, these primary
terms are becoming more and more ingrained in vernacular of government agencies and their
operations. The intent is to better report, understand and measure the outcomes associated with the
expenditure and investment of public funds. However, identifying the right measures to consistently
and accurately collect the necessary data and then communicate the progress of government to the
public in an understandable and meaningful manner can be quite difficult. Equally, when good
measures are established and widely accepted, the nature of quantifying any gains or losses can be
highly complex and difficult to concisely explain.
The Department of Transportation understands the needs of our transportation assets and monitors the
effectiveness of our investment strategies on a daily basis. The data collection and analysis necessary
to manage the transportation system is indeed extensive, complex, often voluminous and sometimes
inconsistent due to changing national collection and reporting criterion. With thoughtful
consideration of these complexities, the Department has selected several important and meaningful
measures for the purpose of providing a brief progress summary in the context of Oklahoma’s bridges
and highways. It is anticipated that in the coming years this progress summary will evolve to
become a concise snapshot of the progress of the highway and bridge investment strategy.
Structurally Deficient Bridges
A review of the most recent transmittal of the National Bridge Inventory System statistics reveals that
Oklahoma has 706 structurally deficient bridges on the highway system or approximately 11% of the
almost 6,800 bridges. The structurally deficient bridge numbers have significantly improved from a
2004 peak of 1,168, in large part due to the additional focus and resources provided by the
Legislature.
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Interstate System
The Interstate System in Oklahoma is a critical transportation link that is the viaduct of commerce
which facilitates the movement of goods and services within the state, across the nation and abroad.
The 674 total centerline miles of interstate carry a significant percentage of the daily vehicle miles
traveled and represent a priority investment strategy component. Since 2003 more than $1.7 billion
has been invested resurfacing, rehabilitating or reconstructing the non-toll interstate system including
bridges, interchanges and necessary property acquisitions and utility relocations. These improvements
represent the scheduled work accomplished as part of our Asset Preservation Plan and our
Construction Work Plan.
Non-interstate Highways
The needs of the state transportation infrastructure are constantly assessed and appropriate
maintenance, rehabilitation and reconstruction activities are planned and implemented in a fully
integrated and systematic manner. Regular maintenance extends the lifecycle of the transportation
facilities and timely rehabilitation and reconstruction activities as encompassed by the Construction
Work Plan are necessary to leverage those maintenance resources so the efforts are restorative and
preventative in nature. The timing of these investments is critical, as resources being directed to
infrastructure and facilities that are beyond useful repair does not constitute effective maintenance and
will not prevent the eventual, inevitable and costly failure of those elements.
In the context of the 2003 to current Asset Preservation and Construction Work Plan investment
strategies, the Department has resurfaced, rehabilitated, constructed or reconstructed non-interstate
highway pavements and bridges totaling an infrastructure investment value of more than $3.5 billion
including necessary property acquisitions and utility relocations.
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