Work on a new Roosevelt Bridge across Lake Texoma has moved onto the water, with Oklahoma Department of Transportation crews drilling into the lakebed from barges next to the existing span, KTEN reported this week.
The borings are one of the first steps in the roughly $400 million project, the station reported. Crews are studying the lakebed to work out what will be needed to hold up the replacement, a four-lane bridge on U.S. 70 between Kingston and Durant, Okla.
ODOT is asking boaters to leave plenty of space around the barges while the drilling is under way, according to KTEN.
Traffic stays on the old bridge
The existing bridge, which carries U.S. 70 between Marshall and Bryan counties, is to stay open while the new one is built nearby, according to the project's website. The state says the new crossing will be wider, with lighting, updated safety features and room for people walking and biking, and is being designed to better withstand extreme weather.
The project is paid for with federal and Oklahoma money. It is the first time ODOT has used a contracting method it calls modified progressive design-build, which the department says helps designers, contractors and ODOT work together more effectively and can mean fewer delays.
