Tulsa senator cites construction delays

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A Tulsa-area senator is citing huge delays in Oklahoma's highway construction program, but Transportation Secretary Neal McCaleb says it's just a case of too many mouths to

Wednesday, March 8th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A Tulsa-area senator is citing huge delays in Oklahoma's highway construction program, but Transportation Secretary Neal McCaleb says it's just a case of too many mouths to feed.

Sen. Lewis Long, D-Glenpool, on Tuesday said two-thirds of the projects on Oklahoma's five-year highway construction program have been delayed, with a backlog building especially in the Tulsa area.

"The transportation department is awash in money, but it keeps delaying vital projects in Tulsa," Long said. "They've got all the taxpayers' money, but they're not using it to build the roads they said they would."

McCaleb said the record does not support any foot-dragging and cited a need for additional road dollars. Long said Republican Gov. Frank Keating and the Transportation Commission "owe some answers to the people."

Long cited a Senate analysis that found 60 percent, or almost $1 billion worth of projects in the five-year plan, have been delayed and another 6 percent have been canceled. Only one-third of the projects are classified in the study as on schedule.

Since fiscal year 1995, he said, ODOT's budget has climbed from $379 million to $574 million, while its schedule of highway programs has bogged down in delay. He said the division that includes the Tulsa area has had 107 projects delayed or canceled.

An example is the widening of U.S. 169 in Tulsa, originally scheduled to begin in 2001, only to be pushed back to 2003 and then to 2005 before transpiration officials indicated this week that they might move it forward again.

McCaleb said there had been an almost two-fold, or 200 percent, increase in projects in the last three years at a cost of more than $200 million.

"I do not consider achieving a $200 million increase in project awards with less money from the Legislature dragging our feet," he said.

As far as U.S. 169 in Tulsa goes, McCaleb said the estimated cost of the project has grown from $12.5 million to $30 million, which has pushed it back to the five-year construction program.

He said Long has a fundamental misconception of transportation finances. In February, he said ODOT was prepared to let $70 million in construction programs for the $1 billion bond program, but was forced to remove them because of a lack of funds.

If no action is taken, he said an additional $60 million in projects will have to be delayed in July and "a total of 30 projects on the $1 billion road program are at risk." He said ODOT "is like a distraught parent with 10 children at the table and only enough to feed five."