The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) has released its federal Fiscal Year 2027-34 eight-year construction work plan after it was approved by the Oklahoma Transportation Commission. The plan covers 1,229 projects in total, valued at more than $7.3 billion.
ODOT also presented an updated four-year asset preservation plan for Fiscal Year 2027-30, consisting of 287 projects totaling $520 million. The two plans are meant to work as a pair. While the first covers major construction work, the second deals with upkeep and maintenance.
The eight-year construction work plan is the roadmap for Oklahoma’s road safety, pavement and bridge needs across the highway network. ODOT’s eight field district engineers update it every year using stakeholder input, with the commission then approving it. The asset preservation plan complements this effort with preventive maintenance meant to extend the life of highways and bridges.
The eight-year plan includes 708 miles of rural two-lane highway improvements and 2,975 lane-miles of pavement, both in fair or poor condition. It also covers 188 at-risk bridges and 10 structurally deficient bridges.
The four-year preservation plan covers 1,915 lane-miles of pavement and 29 accessibility needs. It also includes six structurally deficient bridges and 58 more at risk of becoming deficient.
ODOT officials stated that continued inflation and rising construction costs are limiting how much it can address through the eight-year plan. Transportation departments nationwide have seen nearly 18 years’ worth of inflation since 2020, according to the agency, while demands on the state highway system are growing faster than in previous years.
As a result, several projects have been moved outside the eight-year window. ODOT says they remain priorities and will continue to be developed, should funding become available.
For context, ODOT told commissioners in September that the state highway system is valued at about $128 billion, with more than $30 billion needed to address concerns. The eight-year plan approved for 2025 was valued at $7.7 billion.
Major projects in the new plan include the I-40 bridges over the Arkansas River in Muskogee County and the widening of U.S. 259 between Broken Bow and Hochatown. The plan also includes further improvements to the Interstate 35 and Interstate 240 interchange in Oklahoma City and a new interchange at U.S. 75 and 106th Street North in Tulsa.
ODOT has updated the eight-year plan every year since 2002. The department credits this approach with helping Oklahoma move from one of the worst states for highway bridge conditions to the top 10 nationally for good bridge conditions.
The commission awards contracts for road and bridge work at its monthly meetings. In September, it approved 19 contracts totaling about $60 million. Separately, work also began in September on a $73 million project to widen about five miles of Interstate 40 near Harrah to six lanes, with completion expected in 2029, weather permitting.
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