Work on U.S. 62 bridge over Arkansas River to begin by March 2

By Donna Hales
Phoenix Staff Writer

September 17, 2008 11:31 pm

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An $8 billion infusion this week into the federal highway trust fund assures a $3.785 milliion bridge construction project on U.S. 62 over the Arkansas River is back on the calendar, officials said.
Declining gasoline tax revenues created concerns that the trust fund would fall far short. That scare has now been abated, said ODOT Division One Engineer Darren Saliba.
The work on the U.S. 62 bridge is critically needed, Saliba said. The $3.785 million project, which includes the replacement of rusted support components, was awarded in August to Muskogee Bridge Co.
“A lot of traffic goes across that bridge,” Saliba said. “The effect of repairs will put traffic in a two-lane, two-way, head-to-head traffic. It will be difficult during peak hours. We will be monitoring traffic.”
The project’s starting date is flexible, but is to begin at least by March 2 and be completed by Oct. 28, 2009, Saliba said.
Because of the need to redirect traffic, ODOT spokesman David Meuser said incentives have been built into the contract to reward early completion. Those incentives could boost the $3.8 million project to $4.5 million if the Muskogee contractor meets or beats specific deadlines, he said.
ODOT Division One in Muskogee has more than $82 million in projects in progress in Adair, Cherokee, Haskell, McIntosh, Sequoyah, Okmulgee, Sequoyah and Wagoner counties.
Seven projects in Muskogee County total about $28.5 million, including two on U.S. 64 between Muskogee and Warner and reconstruction of the westbound side of Interstate-40 near Warner.