ENR Texas & Louisiana
January 25, 2021
Mike Patterson
DOT National Practice Consultant and Vice President
HNTB
The fourth iteration of the Metropolitan Area Projects program, or MAPS, which features capital investment initiatives to improve the quality of life in Oklahoma City, was approved by voters in December 2019, funded by a temporary 1-cent sales tax, Patterson says. Beyond those efforts, the state has several significant transportation initiatives underway. “The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is in the process of providing alternative routes around the metro area to initially provide relief to I-35, which is located through downtown. The Dept. of Transportation is making significant investments in the city area to modernize the highway system, and considerable real estate investments continue to be made in the core of the city,” he says. Unemployment rates across Oklahoma remain one of the lowest in the country, he adds. “The construction and consulting industries are doing well. With the consistent growth Oklahoma City continues to experience, we don’t expect to see big changes, just constant growth,” he says.
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