June 28, 2010
By Cindy Allen, Managing Editor
Enid News and Eagle
Oklahoma is in the process of making some much needed road and bridge improvements by following a consistent eight-year work plan that is keeping the Oklahoma Department of Transportation focused.
Gary Ridley, director of Oklahoma Department of Transportation, gave Enid Rotary an update Monday on what has been going on with Oklahoma’s road and bridge problems and how the state is faring amidst a long-lasting recession.
Ridley remembered a previous speech to the Rotary Club about seven years ago when the state was doing better overall economically; yet, state funds for transportation had either stalled or declined from 1985 until 2005.
In 2005, the Oklahoma Legislature and Gov. Brad Henry worked to put together a plan to provide increased funding for transportation.
Ridley said the crisis really was so bad, “without major investment infrastructure, Oklahoma was going to find itself a third-world country. We had built things and then forgot about them.” FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Mon, June 28, 2010
by Crystal Drwenski