The Oklahoma Transportation Commission recently approved the latest County Improvements for Roads and Bridges or CIRB plan – overseen by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation – for fiscal years 2027 to 2031, which includes nearly $950 million in scheduled upgrades to off-system county roads and bridges across the state’s 77 counties.
[Above photo by Oklahoma DOT]
Included in the plan is a more than $20 million project supported by Competitive Highway Bridge Program grant funds to reconstruct the Belford Bridge over the Arkansas River in Pawnee County, as well as two other bridges.
Established by the Oklahoma legislature in 2006, the CIRB Plan targets aging and deficient county infrastructure.
Over the next five years, the updated plan aims to replace or rehabilitate 238 county bridges, including 105 structures currently classified as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, and improve 808 miles of county roadways.
“[We are] proud to partner with county commissioners to deliver infrastructure improvements that make a lasting difference in communities across Oklahoma,” Tim Gatz, Oklahoma DOT’s executive director, said in a statement.
“With the continued support of the commission and the legislature, these investments will improve safety, enhance mobility and strengthen county road and bridge infrastructure for generations to come,” he added.
The CIRB Plan is a collaborative effort involving county governments and the state’s eight Circuit Engineering Districts; prioritizing projects based on need, with funding coordinated through a mix of state, federal, local, and tribal sources.
The cooperative structure also allows counties to pool resources for large-scale improvements that would be difficult to fund independently, Oklahoma DOT said.
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