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  • Heavy equipment workers, from United General Contractors in Kingfisher, widen Oklahoma Highway 412 near Cheyenne Valley Thursday as part of the Major County road improvement plan. A stretch of approximately 7 miles is currently under construction. (Staff Photo by BONNIE VCULEK)

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Discussion

July 7, 2011

Million$ for highways, bridges

By Austin Prickett, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle

Major County is set to receive many millions in construction fund dollars for highways and bridges during the next eight years.

According to Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s “Eight-Year Plan,” five projects are set to take place and be completed by 2018 in Major County. The largest project in the plan is to replace the bridge over the Cimarron River east of Orienta on US 412.

The replacement of the bridge will cost around $10 million and is separated into three different phases. The first phase begins in 2012 and includes the acquisition of right of way. Phase two gets under way in 2015 and involves the relocation of utilities. The final phase, which includes the actual construction of the bridge, will take place in 2017.

ODOT also has plans to replace the bridge over Indian Creek on Oklahoma 58 South of Ringwood. Major County District 1 County Commissioner John Hayworth said currently the bridge is a problem.

“It is a terrible safety hazard.” Hayworth said. “The location of the bridge makes it difficult for drivers too see each other.”

The bridge is located at the bottom of a steep hill and near a sharp curve in the road. Hayworth said currently the bridge is much too narrow.

“The project that will take place will help to increase visibility around the bridge,” Hayworth said. “It should have been done years ago. This will be a huge safety improvement.”

The project is scheduled to begin in 2012 and will cost approximately $3.3 million.

A bridge on U.S. 281 also is scheduled to be replaced. The bridge crosses the Cimarron River between Bouse Junction and Waynoka on the Major County and Woods County line. This project is slated to be completed in 2013 at an approximate cost of $5.2 million.

The three bridges being replaced were listed on ODOT’s July 2010 map of structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges.

Oklahoma 8 will undergo widening and resurfacing from U.S. 412 through Cleo Springs to eight miles north of the Alfalfa County line. This project will cost nearly $7.2 million and will begin in 2018.

In a project already under way, U.S. 412 west of Cheyenne Valley is receiving grading, drainage and resurfacing construction. This project is scheduled to be finished near the end of 2011. Two other projects begin at the Woodward County line and Bouse Junction. They both involve grading, drainage and resurfacing and cover 2.04 miles and 3.7 miles respectively.The Woodward County line project is slated to be completed in 2013 and will cost $6.05 million. The Bouse Junction project is projected to be completed in 2011 and will cost $8.3 million.

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