After 80 years of carrying traffic across Lake Texoma, the US-70 Roosevelt Bridge is headed for a major change.

Oklahoma transportation officials have broken ground on a more than $408 million project to replace the aging bridgeconnecting Bryan and Marshall counties. The new structure is expected to improve safety and reliability along US-70, a regional route carrying more than 11,000 vehicles each day between southern Oklahoma, northern Texas and southern Arkansas.

The project officially got underway Thursday at Lake Texoma State Park, where Oklahoma Department of Transportation officials joined federal, state and local leaders and members of the design-build team for the groundbreaking.

But crews are already well beyond the ceremonial shovel-in-the-ground stage.

Building a New Bridge While Keeping the Old One Open

The project will replace the existing Roosevelt Bridge with a new four-lane crossing.

The new bridge also will include full shoulders, lighting and a pedestrian path, along with improvements to the sections of US-70 approaching the bridge. The existing bridge will remain open while construction takes place, allowing traffic to continue crossing Lake Texoma during the project.

Construction is expected to wrap up in fall 2029.

That means crews will have to build the new crossing while working around an active transportation corridor that serves commuters, truck drivers, school buses, families and visitors traveling through the region.

The Lake Itself Adds to the Challenge

One of the biggest engineering hurdles is below the water.

Lake Texoma reaches depths of about 65 feet near the bridge. Crews are already using barges to drill into the lake bottom and test the ground conditions where the new bridge piers will be anchored. Workers have also started clearing trees near the bridge and along US-70 to improve visibility and prepare the site.

The foundation work will help determine how the new structure can be supported in the lake, making the early testing an important step before major construction progresses.

ODOT is also coordinating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on environmental considerations tied to the project.

A Major Federal Investment

The project is being funded through a combination of federal and state dollars, including a $124 million Large Bridge Project award from the Federal Highway Administration's Bridge Investment Program. According to U.S. Sen. James Lankford, the grant is the largest transportation grant in Oklahoma history.

The investment comes as the Roosevelt Bridge approaches its ninth decade in service.

Federal Highway Administration Administrator Sean McMaster said the replacement will modernize a key piece of infrastructure while improving safety and long-term reliability for communities that depend on the corridor.

Oklahoma Tries a New Project Delivery Approach

The bridge replacement is also notable for how ODOT is delivering the project.

Zachry Construction and Traylor Bros. are leading the design-build team under a modified progressive design-build approach. The method allows ODOT and the design-build teams to work together more closely during design and construction planning, with the goal of improving the project's design, budget and schedule.

It is the first time ODOT has used the approach in Oklahoma.

For drivers, the finished project will mean a new four-lane bridge with wider shoulders, lighting and a dedicated pedestrian path. For engineers and construction crews, however, the work represents a much bigger undertaking: replacing an 80-year-old bridge over a lake while keeping the existing crossing in service.

If construction stays on schedule, the new Roosevelt Bridge will be ready in fall 2029, giving one of Oklahoma's busiest regional connections a new crossing for decades to come.

Source: Oklahoma Transportation