Oklahoma Department of Transportation Executive Director Tim Gatz speaks at an Oklahoma Turnpike Authority board meeting on January 9, 2024. (Photo by Carmen Forman/Oklahoma Voice)
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma has made drastic improvements in reducing the number of structurally deficient bridges and now ranks fourth in the nation for favorable conditions, the head of the state’s transportation agency said Monday.
The new ranking is a marked improvement from over two decades ago when Oklahoma ranked 49th and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation had nearly 1,200 structurally deficient bridges, said Tim Gatz, the agency’s executive director.
“That is the highest ranking we have ever achieved,” Gatz told the Oklahoma Transportation Commission, which oversees Gatz’s agency.
The 2025 report by the Federal Highway Administration, found that 35 bridges — or 0.52% — maintained by ODOT were structurally deficient, Gatz said.
The 35 bridges are addressed in the state’s eight-year construction plan, he said.
Every public bridge in the state is inspected at least once every two years, he said.
“Bringing highway bridges into good condition and preserving them for the future allows the department to put more resources toward other priorities such as improving pavement conditions, adding shoulders to rural, two-lane highways and tackling urban traffic congestion,” said Brenda Perry Clark, an ODOT spokeswoman.
The federal report does not include bridges maintained by counties and cities, he said.
The state agency is responsible for maintaining nearly 6,800 bridges, Gatz said.
A decision by state leaders about 20 years ago to pump tens of millions into the Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety fund, made a significant impact, he said.
“It is going to take continued diligence for us to stay there,” Gatz said.
Oklahoma has about 1,000 bridges that are classified as at risk, or have conditional elements the agency is watching, Gatz said.
Transportation Commissioner Bobby Alexander called the ranking increase “an incredible feat,” adding that efforts to improve bridges have saved lives.
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