AASHTO Journal - Oklahoma DOT Begins $408M Bridge Replacement Project

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation and its design-build team recently held a groundbreaking event at Lake Texoma State Park to mark the beginning of the $408 million US-70 Roosevelt Bridge replacement project.

[Above photo by Oklahoma DOT]

That project – which will replace the current 80-year-old structure connecting Bryan and Marshall counties over Lake Texoma – seeks to improve the safety and reliability of the US-70 corridor; a critical regional highway linking southern Oklahoma, northern Texas, and southern Arkansas that carries more than 11,000 vehicles each day.

Sean McMaster, FHWA administrator. Photo via Oklahoma DOT.

The US-70 Roosevelt Bridge replacement project encompasses construction of a new four lane bridge across Lake Texoma; improvements to roadway approaches along US-70; and the addition of “enhanced safety features,” such as full shoulders, new roadway lighting, and a pedestrian path, Oklahoma DOT noted. The current bridge will remain open during construction, with the new replacement structure expected to be finished by the fall of 2029.

“This monumental project represents what we can accomplish when we come together with a shared commitment to building a stronger state and a stronger future for those who come after us,” said Tim Gatz, executive director of the Oklahoma DOT, in a statement.

He added that the US-70 Roosevelt bridge project is being funded through a combination of federal and state investment, including a $124 million Large Bridge Project award through the Federal Highway Administration’s Bridge Investment Program.

“The replacement of the US-70 Roosevelt Bridge is exactly the type of project [we are] excited to support – modernizing critical infrastructure, enhancing public safety, and maintaining vital economic lifelines for local communities,” noted Sean McMaster, FHWA administrator.

“By leveraging targeted federal funding like the Bridge Investment Program alongside strong state partnerships, this project replaces an 80-year-old structure with a modern design built for generations, ensuring long-term reliability and growth for Oklahoma,” he added.

Initial work at the project site is already underway, Oklahoma DOT noted, with work crews preparing the bridge construction site and clearing trees near the bridge and along US-70. Concurrently, drilling barges are testing the lake bottom’s conditions where the new bridge piers will be anchored.

Lake Texoma reaches depths of approximately 65 feet near the bridge, the agency noted, making the foundation work one of the project’s major engineering challenges. For that reason, Oklahoma DOT stressed that it has been and will continue working closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address environmental considerations associated with the project.