Oklahoma Awards $70.2 Million in Road and Bridge Contracts

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 6, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority approved three road and bridge construction contracts totaling approximately $70.2 million. Two of the contracts involve the Toby Keith Expressway currently under construction, with a combined value of $65.5 million; the other contract is for the rehabilitation of existing bridges on the Cimarron Turnpike.

Duit Construction was awarded a $53.6 million construction contract to build the section of the Toby Keith Expressway between South Santa Fe Avenue and South Telephone Road, including an interchange at Telephone Road. The work also includes widening approximately 0.84 miles (about 1.35 kilometers) of Telephone Road and implementing associated Norman city water line work. The project is located in Cleveland County, west of Interstate 35, and is a key component of the new turnpike.

Manhattan Road & Bridge was awarded a $11.9 million bridge construction contract for the Toby Keith Expressway bridge over Santa Fe Avenue. With these two awards, the Toby Keith Expressway connecting Interstate 44 and Interstate 35 now has eight projects under construction or about to begin, with a cumulative contract value of approximately $328 million. The Authority expects to advance two additional projects in the coming months to provide the construction conditions needed to complete the first-phase connection between the two interstates.

The third contract was awarded to K&R Builders for $4.7 million and involves the rehabilitation of two bridges on the Cimarron Turnpike in Payne County. The Authority announced that the winning bids for all three projects were 4.8% to 5.8% below the engineers' estimates. Specific bridge rehabilitation components, construction durations, and traffic closure arrangements have not yet been announced.

Progress has also been made on bridge construction at the 10 Mile Flats section of the Toby Keith Expressway, where the contractor has completed the first concrete pour for the bridge deck on this segment. According to the Authority's current schedule, this bridge section is expected to open to traffic in just over a year. Previously, construction on the South Canadian River bridge began in March 2026, with foundation and pier work continuing to advance.