Governor Says Oklahoma Dealing With Bridges

Saturday, August 11th 2007, 2:21 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Governor Brad Henry says Oklahoma had already taken steps to fix or replace its structurally deficient bridges before the Minneapolis bridge collapse brought national attention to bridge safety.

Henry says directions and money given to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation during his tenure will solve the massive state bridge problem, but it will take time.

According to a 2006 survey by the Federal Highway
Administration, Oklahoma had 6,299 structurally deficient bridges, the most in the country. Pennsylvania was second with 5,582.

Henry says ODOT inspectors are checking about 100 bridges, including some whose soundness has been questioned by the federal government.

But Henry stressed that any bridge determined unsafe for travel will be shut down immediately and noted that an aggressive eight-year bridge repair and replacement program is already underway.