Published: October 16, 2009 08:38 am      

Road projects reach into the millions

Motorists on S. H. 37 west of Tuttle have been slowing down for road construction since work began on July 6.

The four-mile, $5 million project is being financed with federal funds and is expected to be completed within 300 calendar days, weather permitting. The project involves a grade, drain and surface as well as a realignment of the road, which will eliminate two dangerous 90-degree curves, replacing them with more gradual curves, said Oklahoma Department of Transportation spokeswoman Brenda Perry.

Several areas on S. H. 81 in and near Grady County are also under construction, including the Canadian River Bridge Project north of Minco.

Work on the $7.4 million project, a joint venture between Plains Bridge and TREAS Construction, began Aug. 12 and is scheduled to be completed 325 days after the starting date.

The project will include the bridge as well as approaches.

“Environmental issues have affected the work schedule,” Perry said. “Arkansas River Shiners and Interior Least Terns have to be taken into consideration.”

Perry said the area where the terns are located must be surveyed for nesting sites. If nests are found, crews must stay a quarter mile away from them.

In addition, crews must avoid working in the water from May to October when the Arkansas Shiners are present.

Although work on S. H. 81 just north of Chickasha was scheduled to begin in September, construction has not yet begun.

“There has been no update on the start date,” Perry said.The resurface project, which includes 6.8 miles of S. H. 81 north of U. S. 62, involves removing the road’s surface layer and putting down overlay.

T & G Construction is the contractor on the $1.4 million project.

A concrete pavement rehabilitation project is planned south of Chickasha, 17 and-a-half miles from the Stephens County line and S. H. 19 /U. S. 277, proceeding south for two miles. The job is expected to be completed within 100 days.

“The Transportation Commission rejected the bids because they came in over the engineer’s estimate,” Perry said. “The commission will try to rebid later.”

The lowest bid for the $3,278,851.45 project was $4.4 million.









By the

numbers

$5M. $5 million dollars for construction project on S. H. 37 to take out two 90-degree curves.

$7M.$7.4 million to build a new bridge north of Minco, over the Canadian River. The road will be made into a four-lane.





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