State ranks in Top 10 for bridge conditions
15 years of focusing on bridges has paid off for state bridge safety
Oklahoma has accomplished a dramatic turnaround and now ranks among the Top 10 in the nation for the condition of its bridges, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Thursday.
"I am proud to say that in the new rankings, Oklahoma has just landed at No. 9 in the country," Stitt said, speaking at a news conference conducted atop a highway bridge overlooking Interstate 40 and downtown Oklahoma City. "This is a major win for our state."
Oklahoma Transportation Secretary Tim Gatz praised the accomplishment.
"Over the course of my 30-year career in transportation, I've watched the department go from managing our bridge infrastructure with BandAids and baling wire to being Top 10 in the country," Gatz said. "That's a remarkable achievement and a testament to everybody involved."
As recently as 2004, Oklahoma ranked 49th in the nation with 1,168 structurally deficient bridges on the state highway system, officials said.
After 15 years of increased dedicated funding from the Oklahoma Legislature, the state ended 2019 with 86 structurally deficient bridges, according to the latest statistics and rankings released by the Federal Highway Administration, Stitt said.
Gatz called the dramatic climb in bridge rankings "unprecedented" and credited lawmakers and governors throughout the years with sticking to a plan and continuing to fund bridge replacement efforts even in years when budgeting has been difficult.
Gatz said transportation officials are determined to reach No. 1.
"We're going to do it," he said.
The state has plans to address each of the remaining deficient bridges, Stitt said.
There are about 6,800 bridges on the state highway system.
"Addressing structurally deficient bridges has been a huge focus for our state," Stitt said. "Oklahomans should be really proud to see the work zones and their tax dollars have paid off and helped make us a national leader in bridge safety on the state highway system."
"Having a strong and safe transportation structure keeps businesses running and attracts new
ones," he said. "It makes us a state visitors want to drive to, not drive by."
Bobby Stem of the Association of Oklahoma General Contractors credited the June 2004 tragic death of Yvonne Osborne with providing Oklahoma lawmakers with the motivation to do what was necessary to repair Oklahoma's bridges. Osborne, a Texan, was killed in a freak accident on Interstate 35 when a chunk of concrete fell from a bridge overpass near Paoli and crashed through the windshield of her vehicle.
"At that point in time, our leaders decided that Oklahoma roads shouldn't be dangerous and they began to do something about it," he said.
Gatz urged lawmakers to continue investing in the transportation system, saying Oklahoma has 1,100 bridges on the state highway system that are at least 80 years old and will need maintenance, and conditions of highway pavements in the state will rank in the middle among states.