Expressway Rates Worse Than Collapsed Minnesota Bridge

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- An analysis of 2006 federal bridge data shows the ratings of Oklahoma City's Crosstown Expressway and about 5,000 other Oklahoma bridges are as bad or worse than the bridge that

Sunday, August 5th 2007, 2:03 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- An analysis of 2006 federal bridge data shows the ratings of Oklahoma City's Crosstown Expressway and about 5,000 other Oklahoma bridges are as bad or worse than the bridge that collapsed in Minnesota last week.

The cost to replace those bridges would be about $3.2 billion.

Oklahoma Department of Transportation Chief Engineer John Fuller says he can't guarantee the Crosstown survives until 2012, when a replacement highway is expected to open.

Fuller says the same goes for every bridge in Oklahoma, which has more structurally deficient bridges than any other state.

Transportation officials insist there's nothing to fear on the Crosstown. They're confident the elevated highway is safe for travel, but realize it's nearing the end of its days.

The $557 million project to replace the Crosstown with a new, ground-level road about a mile south is the most expensive road project in state history.