Research Group: Oklahoma Roads Cost Drivers $5 Billion A Year

A national transportation research group says deteriorated and congested roads and bridges in Oklahoma cost the state's motorists $5 billion a year in higher vehicle costs, crashes and congestion-related delays.
   
A report released Wednesday by the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit group TRIP says almost three-fourths of major locally and state-maintained urban roads are in poor or mediocre condition and that 15 percent of Oklahoma's bridges are structurally deficient -- eighth highest in the nation.

The report says Oklahoma's major urban roads are becoming increasingly congested, with drivers wasting significant amounts of time and fuel each year.

The report says Tulsa drivers incur an annual cost of $2,092 as a result of using deficient roads.  And congestion robs Tulsa drivers of 44 hours annually. 

It also rated 42-percent of the roads in the Tulsa urban area as poor, 40-percent as mediocre, 10-percent as fair and eight-percent as poor.

The group says funding for transportation projects has been cut in recent years, forcing the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to cut back on some projects and consider suspending others.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.