In 2004, 1,200 of Oklahoma’s 6,800 highway bridges were in need of major rehabilitation or replacement. This made Oklahoma 49th place of bridge conditions in the nation.

Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) started and effort to improve highway bridges in 2005. The plan would increase road and bridge spending to $170 million by 2011 by phasing in $34 million a year.

“Transportation is the backbone of the economy, and this designation shows Oklahoma is a new national leader in highway bridge infrastructure…” 
Kevin Stitt – Governor

By the goal time in 2011, still 706 bridges were uncared for. This is when the “Bridge Improvement and Turnpike Modernization Plan” was announced. Its’ goal for bridges was to reduce the deficient highway bridges to 1% by the end of the decade.

In 2019, only 89 of the original 1,200 unstable bridges are considered dangerous, moving Oklahoma from the 49th place to the 9th.Today, Oklahoma is one of the top 10 states in the nation containing the safest highway transportation bridges.