Just east of all the construction off of Highway
69 in Durant, there's a bridge that may need some attention. KTEN's
Jhen Kordela explains.
Residents who live nearby call it the
"no fault" bridge. Meaning, the vision is so poor going over this
one-lane, two-way bridge ... Drivers can -- and do -- get into
accidents here at no fault of their own.
Durant resident
Melba Graham spends her afternoons at home, content, watching children.
But, it's the every-day trips to and from her house that create anxiety.
"It's
just horrifying to try to get out of my backyard and go down ninth
street to Durant," says Graham. "I never know if I'm going to meet a
real fast motorcycle coming over or a little bitty car that I can't
see."
It's an issue, not covered by the Oklahoma Department of
Transportation's eight-year, $20 million plan to replace and repair
state bridges and roadways. It's off of a state highway, goes over
railroad property and connects to a city street.
"Years ago,
we tried to get it fixed," says Frankie Hill, who lives by the bridge.
"My dad actually called attention to it, standing in the same place,
and nobody would claim the bridge. The railroad said they didn't own
it, the city said they didn't own it because it wasn't in the city
limits at that time, the county said it wasn't theirs, the state said
it wasn't theirs. Nobody waned it."
The city admits the bridge is an issue. But, as of now, there's no money to address it.
"That's
one of the projects we'll be looking at down the road," says James
Dunegan, Durant city manager. "We do not really have any funding on the
project right at this time, but that's something we'll be talking about
as that area grows out that way."
So, until the dollars are set
aside for a project, the growing amount of drivers in that area will
have to face this bridge head on -- or, steer clear of it entirely.
- Jhen Kordela, KTEN News.