October 5, 2011
LandLineMag.com
By Keith Goble, Land Line state legislative editor
Gov. Mary Fallin’s goal is to transform Oklahoma bridges from being a punch line to a leading example. She announced a plan this week to fix and repair Oklahoma’s bridges within eight years without resorting to tax and fee increases, including toll taxes.
Oklahoma has 706 state-owned bridges that are rated structurally deficient. The governor’s plan would enable repairs on 539 of the bad bridges. State lawmakers would be responsible for coming up with funding for repairs on the remaining 167 bridges.
Fallin’s Bridge Improvement and Turnpike Modernization Plan relies on lawmakers setting aside an extra $15 million each year for bridge work. It also calls for the annual spending cap on roads and bridges to be raised by about $100 million.
“Having a safe, reliable and modern transportation infrastructure is important for Oklahoma’s economy and important for the safety of our citizens,” Fallin said in a statement.
The state has a long way to go before all bad bridges are addressed. In 2006, the Sooner State topped national lists for the number of deficient bridges... FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Wed, October 5, 2011
by John Cox