Oklahoma ranks top ten for neglected bridges over a decade

TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma is ranked in the top 10 percent of neglected bridges for over a decade or more.

In Oklahoma, Scripps News foundout 807 bridges are considered in poor condition as of 2014 to 2023. That’s the third-highest number in the country.

Stan Prins and his grandson, Glenn, are passing through Oklahoma on the famous Mother Road, Route 66. For those who know anything about the route, it’s loaded with bridges and deficient ones.

It’s important for people’s lives,” Prins said. “Just like everything else, it’s got to be kept and updated the way society is.”

With Oklahoma ranking in the top 10 for deficient bridges, you best believe it’s at the top of ODOT’s mind.

This week, the Transportation Commission just approved an update to the five-year County Improvements of Roads and Bridges plan, which includes $804 million in improvements and a replacement or rehab of 176 county bridges.

2 News got in touch with Randle White, an engineer with ODOT. He works with interstate, U.S., and state highway bridges in northeastern Oklahoma.

To be clear, Scripps News’ report accounts for all Oklahoma bridges, including highway, interstate and city and county bridges. City and county bridges are not under ODOT’s jurisdiction.

According to recent inspection data from the Federal Highway Administration and analyzed by ODOT, Oklahoma climbed to No. 5in the nation for good highway bridge conditions. Oklahoma moved ahead of Texas to claim the No. 5 ranking for 2021 after coming in at No. 7 in 2020 among states with the lowest percentages of structurally deficient bridges on the highway system, the report stated.

White says since legislators funded an aggressive package to repair structurally deficient bridges in northeast Oklahoma in 2011, they’ve improved 285 bridges. That leaves only about 15, with 13 under construction or going to be constructed.

“Now, that doesn’t mean we’re done. We have over 1,100 bridges in this area,” White said.

He says that doesn’t include at-risk bridges, better than structurally deficient bridges but could use some work.

“We’ve got about 158 at-risk bridges right now, and we’ll have them in our eight-year construction work program,” he said.

Until then, Prins and his grandson will continue driving on them while White inspects them since bridges don’t get any younger.

“We have bridges 80 years or older that we’re still trying to address,” White said.

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