TULSA, Okla. — More than 85 million {dollars} from what President Biden’s administration calls a landmark bipartisan infrastructure invoice is coming to Oklahoma.
According to federal and state transportation departments, the grant pays for 1,500 jobs and different bills to full the brand new Interstate 44 and U.S.-75 interchange.
The project consists of ending its flyover ramps, new bridges on the Arkansas River plus enhancements to 51st and 61st Streets, a brand new U.S.-75 frontage road, and enhancements to Skelly Drive.
“It’s such a critical interchange first of all, for freight movement, and everybody in the region depends on going through there to get to work, to get their kids to school,” U.S. Undersecretary for Transportation Policy Carlos Monje told 2 News Oklahoma. “And it’s a critical freight corridor and the impact in terms of safety as well. This is an interchange that has double the rate of crashes.”
It’s these considerations and extra that ODOT named as key causes the historic grant is required, however not everybody has the identical enthusiasm.
“We kind of got double-whammied,” owner of Jumpin J’s bar owner Brian Kinder said of the construction’s impact to his business with a concrete wall obstructing its view from South Union Avenue and West 51st Street.
“We got hit with COVID, and then right after that we came out and then construction.”
Kinder stated his enterprise has misplaced hundreds from construction alone.
“Another factor, the communication was horrible. We come out right here at some point, and we open up, and the following factor we all know your entire parking zone is stuffed up with stuff so we had to then shut down, so it value us cash too as a result of they didn’t give us any warning.”
But Monje and ODOT’s T.J. Gerlach stated the project is a no brainer, with many advantages.
“People will be able to not only enjoy the benefits of being able to get through there, but 1,500 people are going to be able to go to work every day and build that for their neighbors,” Monje stated.
“This is the oldest section of interstate that has not been touched since the interstate program was created in the state of Oklahoma, so it’s been a long time coming,” Gerlach stated.
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