Road

23% of Oklahoma's major urban roads are congested. 42% of Oklahoma's major roads are in poor or mediocre condition. Vehicle travel on Oklahoma's highways increased 38% from 1990 to 2003. Oklahoma's population grew 12% between 1990 and 2003. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has a $583.4 million backlog of deferred maintenance. Driving on roads in need of repair costs Oklahoma motorists $969 million a year in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs --- $413 per motorist. Congestion in the Oklahoma City area costs commuters $245 per person per year in excess fuel and lost time. Congestion in the Tulsa area costs commuters $247 per person per year in excess fuel and lost time.

Bridge

38 % of Oklahoma's bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.

Dam

There are 31 state determined deficient dams in Oklahoma. Oklahoma has 185 high hazard dams. A high hazard dam is defined as a dam whose failure would cause a loss of life and significant property damage. The rehabilitation cost for Oklahoma's most critical dams is estimated at $161.3 million.

Drinking Water

Oklahoma's drinking water infrastructure needs $2.34 billion over the next 20 years.

Wastewater

Oklahoma has $586 million in wastewater infrastructure needs.

Solid Waste

Oklahoma generates 1.28 tons of solid waste per capita. Oklahoma recycles 1% of the state's solid waste.

Schools

54% of Oklahoma's schools have at least one inadequate building feature. 64% of Oklahoma's schools have at least one unsatisfactory environmental condition.

From the Headlines

Oklahoma Department of Transportation Director Gary Ridley said that he is concerned that some state bridges might not be able to handle the increasing weights of state school buses. Ridley's office has set up a process to notify districts when bridges in their area are downgraded to carry less weight. In 1996, the average weight of a school bus was 12 tons. That increased to 15 tons in 2003, according to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. The state has 6,700 bridges, of which 1,100 are structurally deficient, meaning they will not hold the loads they were designed to carry, Ridley said. Oklahoma has 33 bridges that will carry 15 tons or less, he said. Tulsa World 1/13/04

Oklahoma's transportation problems continue to grow worse. The bridge on Oklahoma 88 over Dog Creek near Claremore was in such bad shape that state Transportation Director Gary Ridley ordered an engineer to check it every day. A weight limit of 15 tons already had been imposed and then a few weeks ago the weight limit was dropped to five tons. But even then the bridge worried Ridley so much that he ordered it closed for emergency repairs. This bridge is one of the state's worst, but unfortunately, the entire Oklahoma transportation system is in such terrible shape that Ridley and his staff stay awake nights worrying about dozens of locations. The conditions grow worse by the day. These roads are Ridley's biggest concern because they are responsible for 56 percent of the accidents in the state. Tulsa World 3/14/04

Lew Miebergen's grain truck drivers have to go dozens of miles out their way, and into Kansas, to ship wheat from Renfrow to Enid, a 30-mile trip south. The detour costs time and money, but is the only way to get the freight around some of Oklahoma's worst bridges, which likely would not bear the heavy loads. "Over time, it'll add a terrific amount to our operating expenses," said Miebergen, owner of grain elevator operator Johnson Enterprises. About 1,100 Oklahoma bridges are structurally deficient, and nearly 500 more are functionally obsolete. Of these, more than 150 have a weight limit, and several dozen are not safe for vehicles weighing more than 15 tons. State Transportation Department Director Gary Ridley, who is pleading for more money for bridge rehabilitation, said the deterioration is astounding. Oklahoma Transportation Department engineers inspect 60 to 70 bridges a week in an effort to monitor their safety. The department reduces weight limits on more and more bridges each year. Occasionally, the bridges are closed. Oklahoma is the leader in the nation in the number of structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges. Decades of inadequate funding for maintenance have taken a toll. In fact, 135 bridges in the state system were built before 1920, and one was constructed in 1896. It's been moved but not rebuilt. Oklahoma needs $180 million in additional money to improve its state road and bridge system by just 10% in the next 10 years. Ridley advocates increasing fuel taxes to improve roads and bridges. He said Kansas, which has significantly higher gas and diesel taxes, spends twice as much per mile to build and maintain roads and has less than 5 percent of its roads in poor condition. Thirty percent of Oklahoma roads are in poor condition. Meibergen says he'd rather spend a few more cents for diesel than detour around the bridges. He's angry the state hasn't maintained its transportation system. "I guess they don't care about the businesses," he said. The Oklahoman 4/25/04

Oklahoma City Council members agreed to seek construction bids to rebuild the Walnut Avenue bridge ??? even though they have no assurance of recovering up to half the cost from the Union Pacific Railroad. The bridge is a main entry to Bricktown and a key link between the entertainment district and nearby Deep Deuce. The span was closed last week after engineers determined failing steel beams and crumbling concrete made it unsafe for motorists and pedestrians. ???The roadway surface has holes in it, and it's very deteriorated,??? City Engineer Paul Brum said. The Oklahoman 8/18/04

State funding for highways and bridges has settled around the $200 million mark for the past 20 years while the state's transportation infrastructure has crumbled, freshman House members were told. State transportation Director Gary Ridley said Oklahoma leads the nation in bad bridges. Of 6,700 bridges in the state highway system, he said, 1,600 have been found structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Ridley said this represents a $3 billion backlog of needs. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has scheduled 32 bridge replacements per year under current funding levels. However, Ridley said, the agency needs to replace at least 80 bridges each year to improve the overall condition of system bridges by 10% over the next decade. He said that would cost about $82 million annually. Ridley said $10 million more needs to be spent to maintain and rehabilitate the remaining structures. Oklahoma's highways also are in poor shape, Ridley said. He said more than 4,300 miles of the state's 12,266 highway miles are in need of immediate repair. Adding 400 miles of pavement rehabilitation each year for the next 10 years will cost about $50 million per year, he added. Tulsa World 12/9/04



Sources

Survey of the state's civil engineers conducted in December 2004

TRIP Fact Sheets, February 2005

Texas Transportation Institute, 2004 Urban Mobility Report

Government Performance Project, Grading the States 2004

The State of Garbage in America, Biocycle Magazine 2004

Condition of America's Public Schools, 1999

EPA Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey, 2001

EPA Clean Water Needs Survey, 2000

Association of State Dam Safety Officials