Road projects planned for eastern Oklahoma County

ODOT’s updated 8-year-plan includes $232 million for east metro:

Eastern Oklahoma County is expected to see about $232 million in road projects over the next eight years, according to Oklahoma Department of Transportation officials.

The state agency released its revised eight-year construction plan last week with several major projects planned for I-40 and I-240 from 2017-2024. The list includes widening I-40 to six lanes through the Pottawatomie County line and replacing several bridges and interchanges in the Mid-Del area.

In fiscal year 2017, ODOT plans to reconstruct the Choctaw Road interchange on I-40 and widen the interstate to six lanes through Luther Road. The $43.5 million interchange project includes building a full diamond interchange and widening the interstate through the county line. A separate $38 million project will widen the interstate three miles from the county line through Luther Road.

ODOT planned to start the interchange project in 2017, but moved up the start date of the second project from FY 2023. The project was bumped up due to plans for a turnpike in eastern Oklahoma County. The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is planning to build a 21-mile loop that will connect I-40 and I-44 (Turner Turnpike) in eastern Oklahoma County. The project is slated for construction in 2019.

The two projects are expected to take two years to complete.

In 2018, ODOT has scheduled a rehabilitation project for the Scott Street bridges over I-40. The project is estimated to cost $700,000. The bridges are slated for replacement in 2024.

ODOT plans to reconstruct I-40 bridges over Crutcho Creek, SE 15th Street and Sooner Road in late 2018 or early 2019. The Crutcho Creek and SE 15th Street bridges are expected to cost about $31.62 million. Construction of new bridges over Sooner Road will cost about $23.46 million.

The I-40 bridges over Sunnylane Road are scheduled for replacement in 2023. The $14 million project has been pushed back three years from the last eight-year-plan.

In 2018, ODOT plans to rehabilitate about five miles of I-240 from I-35 to Air Depot Blvd.

Work will shift east in 2020, with projects planned for Douglas Boulevard interchange. The state expects to spend $15.45 million to reconstruct the interchange and another $20.6 million to widen the interstate to six lanes for five miles east.

Also in 2020, ODOT plans to raise I-40 over Post Road and Westminster at a cost of $2.06 million. The bridges are functionally obsolete due to their low vertical clearance. The raising will bring them to current state vertical clearance standards. The bridges over Anderson Road and the I-240 westbound ramp on I-40 will be replaced at a cost of $10.3 million.

ODOT plans additional work on I-40 between Luther Road to mile marker 173 in 2021.

Since being first implemented in its current format in 2003, ODOT’s eight-year plan has focused on addressing the state’s greatest transportation needs. Transportation commissioners work with ODOT’s field division engineers and staff to identify the most critical highway and bridge projects and create a balanced statewide plan with anticipated federal and state funding. Each year, the plan is updated to reflect project completions, adjustments in projected revenue and changes in construction costs. As the previous fiscal year comes off of the plan, another year is added based on forecasting of available funding.

State revenue shortfalls and budget cuts in the last year made rebalancing of the eight-year plan a difficult task, according to ODOT officials. In the 2017 state budget, a total of $323 million in cuts were made to state highway funding, with ODOT given the ability to sell $200 million in bonds to partially offset the cuts. ODOT worked to keep as many previously planned projects on schedule as possible, but budget cuts resulted in fewer new projects in the recent eight-year-plan.

ODOT’s eight-year-plan follows the federal fiscal calendar which runs from October 1 through September 30.

ODOT projects planned for eastern Oklahoma County

• FFY 2017 — Reconstruct and add capacity to I-40 from mile marker 167 (Pottawatomie County line) to mm 170 (S. Luther Rd.)
• FFY 2017 — Reconstruction and add capacity to I-40 from mile marker 165 (Choctaw Rd.) east to mm 167 (Pottawatomie County line) and reconstruct Choctaw Rd. interchange
• FFY 2017 — I-40 eastbound and westbound bridge rehabilitation on Scott St.
• FFY 2018 — I-240 pavement rehabilitation from .15 miles east of I-35 and extending 5.75 miles to near Air Depot
• FFY 2019 — I-40 bridge replacement at S.E. 15th St. and Crutcho Creek
• FFY 2019 — I-40 eastbound and westbound bridge replacement at Sooner Rd.
• FFY 2020 — I-40 Douglas Blvd. bridge replacement and interchange reconstruction 6.5 miles east of I-35
• FFY 2020 — I-40 pavement reconstruction and add capacity from Douglas Blvd. interchange extending east for 5 miles to just past the I-240 junction
• FFY 2020 — I-40 bridge raising at Post Rd., Westminster Rd.
• FFY 2020 — I-40 bridges replaced over Anderson Rd. and I-240 westbound ramp on I-40
• FFY 2021 — Reconstruction and add capacity to I-40 from mile marker 170 (S. Luther Rd.) to mile marker 173
• FFY 2023 — I-40 eastbound and westbound bridges over Sunnylane
• FFY 2024 — I-40 eastbound and westbound bridge replacement over Scott St.