Tulsa World
By Staff Reports
Published: 9/23/20112:26 AM
Last Modified: 9/23/20115:29 AM
Oklahoma Department of Transportation employees are opening their doors to the public Friday for a celebration of the agency's centennial of building and repairing Oklahoma's 31,000 lane-miles of highways.
The department has had open houses at divisions across the state this year, and the public is invited to attend the open house at Tulsa's Division 8 headquarters from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday.
Division 8 headquarters, at 4002 N. Mingo Valley Expressway, oversees ODOT work in Craig, Creek, Delaware, Mayes, Nowata, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Rogers, Tulsa and Washington counties.
Friday's events will include a light lunch, a ceremonial tree planting and a centennial plaque dedication.
The department began in 1911 with an initial budget of $3,700. The current budget is $415 million, and ODOT has an additional $1 billion worth of projects waiting in line.
The Department of Transportation began with just four people - a commissioner, an assistant commissioner, an engineer and a secretary.
Today more than 2,400 people are employed by the department.
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Fri, September 23, 2011
by John Cox