The Oklahoma Transportation Commission gave the go ahead this week to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) largest single contract in agency history. The $105 million project completes a major improvement of the I-235 corridor in Oklahoma City, one of the state’s busiest interchanges with about 200,000 vehicles a day. The junction at I-235 and I-44 will be reconstructed.
The Commission also was briefed about the status of federal funding as Congress continues its gridlock on certain budget issues include transportation. ODOT Executive Director Mike Patterson told the Commission to expect more short-term funding through continuing resolutions instead of a long-term solution. Short-term funding injects a sense of instability for funding on highway projects.
ODOT has been certified by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to provide safety oversight of fixed guideway rail transit systems. This comes at a time when Oklahoma City is launching its new streetcar system and the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments and six cities are working on a regional transportation plan. The department was required to create an oversight program to meet federal requirements for safety and security of such transit systems. Oklahoma was one of the first states to receive this certification from the FTA.
