U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas' sprawling district has more than 2,600 deficient bridges, most of them under the purview of the 32 counties in his western Oklahoma district.
NewsOK
BY CHRIS CASTEEL ccasteel@opubco.com
Published: October 14, 2011
WASHINGTON — Rep. Frank Lucas' sprawling congressional district in Oklahoma has more structurally deficient bridges — by far — than 391 other districts studied by a nonpartisan group that wants Congress to set priorities for transportation funding.
According to the study by Taxpayers for Common Sense, Lucas' district, which includes all or part of 32 counties, mostly in western Oklahoma, has 2,657 bridges classified as structurally deficient. That is nearly 1,000 more than the next worst district, the study shows.
All five of the state's congressional districts had high rates of structurally deficient bridges, according to the report, which used 2009 data.
Lucas, R-Cheyenne, whose district spans more than 34,000 square miles, said Thursday, “As many people travel throughout the 3rd Congressional District in Oklahoma, they all recognize the importance of maintaining our transportation system and ensuring the upkeep of our roads and bridges.
“As a U.S. congressman, I share the same concerns with my fellow Oklahomans. I have always had a strong working relationship with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, and I can ensure you I will continue to work with them to make certain our roads and bridges are taken care of in the future.” FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Fri, October 14, 2011
by John Cox