DOT's Foxx Touts Oklahoma’s Recent Transport Investments
The country’s top transportation officer applauded Oklahoma’s recent push to upgrade its infrastructure through local and federal funds as he toured the country to promote the Obama administration’s revenue proposal to pay for infrastructure projects.
“The recent improvements Oklahoma has made to its roads and bridges and its efforts to address its aging infrastructure are examples of what can be done by focusing efforts on transportation investment,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Oct. 16 in Tulsa.
Foxx, who met with local and state officials, also touched on the economic benefit transportation can have on state economies, while calling on congressional lawmakers to advance the Obama administration’s “Grow America Act” legislative proposal. The administration plan would reform corporate tax structures to generate about $150 billion in revenue for federal transportation programs.
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), who met with the secretary during his trip, noted that recent improvements to the state’s transportation system have reduced congestion to facilitate the flow of freight.
A decade ago, the Sooner State was known for aging bridges. But according to the state Department of Transportation, the number of structurally deficient state highway bridges dropped significantly in 2013 due to the adoption of a multiyear funding plan and federal aid. ODOT officials said they are planning to improve and add shoulders to 743 miles of two-lane highways and proceed with other improvements on 725 miles of high-volume highways and interstates.
"The recently completed I-44 Riverside-to-Yale improvements and I-244 bridge replacements over the Arkansas River in Tulsa are prime examples of Congress carrying out its constitutional responsibility to maintain and modernize our nation’s infrastructure. It serves as a lesson of what can be accomplished when dedicated funding is used to address the critical needs of our transportation system,” Inhofe said.
In a 2013 report, the American Society of Civil Engineers concluded that 70% of the roads in Oklahoma are in poor condition, which costs drivers an estimated $978 million in vehicle That comes out to about $425 per motorist.
