The Oklahoma Transportation Commission on Monday approved a plan to upgrade more than 800 miles of county roadways over the next five years.
The County Improvements for Roads and Bridges, or CIRB program, plans to spend roughly $950 million between fiscal years 2027 and 2031 to replace and rehabilitate roadways in every Oklahoma county, including 238 bridges. According to the five-year work plan, 105 of those structures are currently "structurally deficient or functionally obsolete."
The CIRB program, largely funded by revenue from the state's Vehicle License and Registration Act, works with county commissioners to identify county-operated infrastructure that needs repair or reconstruction.
"ODOT is proud to partner with county commissioners to deliver infrastructure improvements that make a lasting difference in communities across Oklahoma," Transportation Secretary Tim Gatz said in a Tuesday press release. "With the continued support of the Transportation Commission and the Legislature, these investments will improve safety, enhance mobility and strengthen county road and bridge infrastructure for generations to come."
To date, the CIRB program has supported the replacement of 867 county bridges and improvements to more than 1,300 miles of roadways, according to a statement from Gatz included in the work plan.
The CIRB program divides projects between the state's eight Circuit Engineering Districts, boards that coordinate joint transportation and infrastructure efforts across counties. Over the next five years, the largest appropriation will go to counties in Division 8, which covers the northeast corner of the state. A plan to rebuild the Belford Bridge over the Arkansas River in Pawnee County is the single most expensive project on the agenda, at $18.8 million.
The five-year construction work plan approved by the Commission separates projects by year, division and county.
In Oklahoma County alone, planned improvements total nearly $30 million. The document outlines efforts to repave a segment of Luther Road and to construct three new bridges on 44th St. in Oklahoma City, among other projects.
Projects in the state's next two most populous counties, Tulsa and Cleveland, will total roughly $50 million and $5 million, respectively.
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