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STRUCTURALLY DEFICIENT: Rogers County bridge replacement plan

By: Naomi Keitt

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ROGERS COUNTY, Okla. — Some drivers in Rogers County say they’re grateful a bad bridge is getting replaced. This week, Oklahoma Department of Transportation approved a $7.2 million contract to replace the SH-66 bridge over Bird Creek.

ODOT says it’s a part of a bigger effort to replace structurally deficient bridges across the state.

Inside the Nut House on Route 66, Manager Morgan Williams is going about her day as normal helping customers and straightening up. She says her day, though, starts crossing the SH-66 bridge over Bird Creek near Catoosa.

“I do drive it almost every day,” said Mogan Williams. “It’s terrifying.”

She’s not a fan of the bridge and is thankful there’s a plan to replace it soon.

“You drive over it and you can feel things happening to your vehicle,” said Williams. “It would be nice to have it fixed.”

This week, ODOT awarded the bridge replacement contract.

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“In Catoosa on SH-6, we’ve got a $7.2 million contract that’s going to replace a truss bridge on 66,” said ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz.

Gatz says removing truss bridges is a priority for them.

“Anytime we’ve got truss bridges on the highway system we’ve particularly mindful of that,” said Gatz.

The SH-66 bridge is one of only 7 truss bridges left across the state. ODOT says at one point there were more than 100 of them. The agency says the bridge is fracture critical meaning if any part of the truss were to crack the whole thing would need to be shut down.

ODOT says this is a part of an effort to replace structurally deficient bridges across the state.

“Over the past decade ODOT has made tremendous leaps and bounds in replacing structurally deficient bridges,” said ODOT Spokesperson TJ Gerlach.

Gerlach says 20 years ago, Oklahoma was near last in the nation for highway bridge conditions. He says now we’re in the top 5.

As 2 News told you last year, Scripps News found 807 bridges in poor condition in Oklahoma from 2014-2023. Those numbers include more than just highway bridges.

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Back in Rogers County, while Williams wants the bridge replaced, she still wants to see the trusses nearby.

“Those are neat,” said Williams. “I think they’re neat. I hope they can put them somewhere where you can still have some of the historical value preserved so people can enjoy seeing it.”

ODOT says the plan is to display them, like the trusses nearby, with exhibit boards explaining their history.

The project is expected to start in April 2025 and finish in early 2026, in time for the Route 66 centennial.

This will be happening at the same time as the 1-44 interchange project nearby.