The Journal Record: Contract Would Allow Study Of Removing Belle Isle Bridge In OKC

There’s more talk about improving the Belle Isle Bridge -- a section of Interstate 44 which has seen its fair share of construction.

It wasn't long ago orange cones and blinking lights covered the Belle Isle Bridge. Oklahoma Department of Transportation recently finished rehab work on it and more is scheduled to begin this summer.

Our partners at The Journal Record are reporting ODOT officials will vote on Monday on a $1.9 million engineering contract. If they vote yes, consultants would study possibly removing the Belle Isle Bridge, which sits over major roads like Classen and Penn.

The engineers would also look into improvements and reconstructing I-44. Drivers are familiar with the headaches this could cause. Last spring, the bridge was down to two lanes while workers fixed the piers, because rebar and concrete were falling apart.

At the end of the study, the Belle Isle project will go on the department's eight-year plan, a long-term list of projects.