FULL ARTICLE
McAlester News Capital
Nov. 17, 2009
By James Beaty, Senior Editor
It’s
been a long time coming, but a state bridge east of Hartshorne that has
been closed to traffic because of ongoing work is now open.
That’s according to the latest word from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
Both
lanes of State Highway 1 over Gaines Creek, east of Hartshorne, closed
on July 14 so construction work could start on a bridge replacement
project. The bridge over Gaines Creek is near Higgins and approximately
13 miles east of Hartshorne.
Work on the new bridge cut off what
for many had been a well-traveled route between the McAlester,
Hartshorne and Haileyville areas, and the Buffalo Valley, Talihina,
Tuskahoma and Clayton areas.
Those traveling from McAlester to
Talihina, for example, had been forced to take a detour, with the most
common one being to take U.S. Highway 270 to Wilburton, and from there
taking State Highway 2 to the south.
The original Gaines Creek
bridge had been constructed in 1941. It’s been replaced by a new
concrete and steel structure which was part of the $1.8 million bridge
replacement project.
Approximately 1,400 vehicles a day drive over the bridge spanning Gaines Creek, according to ODOT.
In
May, the Oklahoma Transportation Commission awarded the project to a
joint venture consisting of Plains Bridge Contracting of Oklahoma and
Treas Construction Inc.
Posted on
Fri, November 20, 2009
by Crystal Drwenski