Okmulgee County gravel roads virtually impassable, residents say

Oklahoma roads certainly don't need another round of bad weather. Many streets are full of potholes, and some county gravel roads are impassable. A large contingent of Okmulgee County citizens took

Wednesday, January 17th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Oklahoma roads certainly don't need another round of bad weather. Many streets are full of potholes, and some county gravel roads are impassable. A large contingent of Okmulgee County citizens took their road complaints to Tuesdayâ€™s county commissioner's meeting. The people who live along these county roads are angry over what they say is a terrible lack of maintenance. One man told the board, â€œIn the past two years, I can tell you how many times a road grader has been up my road, three."

The county commissioners say they know the roads are in terrible shape, but money for maintenance is running low. Okmulgee County needs federal help, as do many Oklahoma counties. â€œIt's not going to get done unless F-E-M-A comes in, because we're talking about millions of dollars,â€ said Okmulgee County Commissioner Jim Henson. â€œWe're not talking about one load of gravel here."

Even with help, Henson told his constituents it would be two years until the roads were repaired. He says if they want it fixed, and maintained better, they'll have to help pass a half-cent sales tax.
Residents say they are willing to do that, but they want commissioners to help now with what money they do have.
â€œWe have had zero maintenance,â€ said resident Matt Jones.

The air was tense at the meeting, which had participantsâ€™ blood boiling at times. At one point, Henson told the audience to "shut up." This didnâ€™t go over with the assembled crowd very well.

The roads in rural Okmulgee County are virtually impassable. Emergency vehicles simply can't travel them. This fact was proven Friday night when a fatal stabbing occurred at a residence located on an Okmulgee County road. Police and sheriff deputies had to hitch a ride to the scene on a six-wheeler borrowed from a local fire department.

Automobiles driving the county roads struggle to make it through the muck. It's a situation, the residents say, that they see no end to in sight. After the meeting, resident Stacy Meeker told The News on Six, â€œWe didn't get anything done. We're going to have to go to the governor, and then it looks like we may have to go to President Bush," she said. The residents say they'll do anything to get their roads repaired.

The Okmulgee County Commissioners say they expect to hear from F-E-M-A about the necessary funding to repair the roads in the next couple of weeks.