Spending flexibility a must for Oklahoma
Tulsa World
By World's Editorial Writers
Published: 7/10/20102:21 AM
Last Modified: 7/10/20105:28 AM
The recent decision by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to temporarily close four truss bridges and place weight limits on more than two dozen has several public policy implications. The most obvious is that big-ticket infrastructure needs, such as bridges and highways, will never be fully addressed, given the state's limited resources.
Another is that the volume and scope of state needs — not just those in the transportation sector — mean citizens should zealously guard and wisely parcel out the precious resources we do have. In other words, don't pass constitutional measures that would guarantee a certain level of funding for one important function, to the detriment of all others.
State transportation engineers, at the request of the federal government, studied all 95 of the state's truss-style bridges in the wake of the bridge collapse in Minnesota three years ago that killed 13 people.
It was the first such review of the truss bridges, comparing original structural plans with current design standards. Truss design was discontinued decades ago, so that means the 95 bridges in question are all quite old... FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Sat, July 10, 2010
by Crystal Drwenski