Restore T.R.U.S.T.

Traffic Talk column: "ODOT understands the concerns and is painfully aware of the condition of many of the state's roads and bridges," says Terri Angier, ODOT's chief of media & public relations.

NewsOK
By Don Gammill
Published: November 8, 2010

Any of you traveling in this area will be able to relate. It's a rough trip. At least, part of it is.

I and a group of friends took a trip to Red River, N.M., ... which featured a bone-and-suspension-jarring ride from Woodward through the Panhandle on State Highway 3/U.S. 412, caused by cracks across the roadway every 50 feet that are 2 inches wide and 2 inches deep as the pavement has been worn down at the edges ... After that horrible ride, we decided to jog north into Kansas for part of the way out and come home via a different route through Texas and found their roads over the same types of soils to be as smooth as glass. Obviously, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation is doing something horribly wrong to have these cracks everywhere, not just in the Panhandle, and the highway departments in Kansas and Texas have figured out how to avoid completely. I would like to see an explanation from the highway department on this.

Glenn, Taloga

Here's the word from the person who can address that, Glenn: Terri Angier, ODOT's chief of media & public relations.

"ODOT understands the concerns and is painfully aware of the condition of many of the state's roads and bridges," she says. "In recent years, the department has discussed this concern with citizens, drivers, the media and elected officials at length. As a matter of fact, ODOT just completed a series of 100 meetings across the state informing citizens about where we are with our progress to date... FULL ARTICLE