ODOT Says Budget Cuts Would Devastate Programs to Fix Bridges, Roads

Staff and Wire Reports

OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma's transportation secretary says budget cuts could take as much as half a billion dollars from road and bridge programs and devastate those projects.

Gary Ridley said Monday he sent a letter last week to Republican state Sen. Randy Brogden, who heads an appropriations subcommittee that oversees transportation spending. Ridley says a proposed 20 percent cut would reduce the Department of Transportation's budget by $55 million a year - a total of $440 million in the department's eight year road and bridge plan.

He said another $52 million would be needed to pay debt service on road construction bonds already authorized.

Ridley says the impact would be devastating on Oklahoma's efforts to upgrade and rebuild obsolete and deficient roads and bridges, including projects like the old state highway 51 bridge over the Verdigris River in the northeastern part of the state. Crews blew up the old and outdated bridge to make way for a new nearly $9 million one.