Report: State faces $1 billion road and bridge backlog

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Oklahoma faces a $1 billion backlog in unfunded road and bridge repairs over the next five years and does NOT have the money to pay for it. That's according to report released

Wednesday, February 23rd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Oklahoma faces a $1 billion backlog in unfunded road and bridge repairs over the next five years and does NOT have the money to pay for it. That's according to report released this morning by The Road Information Program, which is a nonprofit transportation research group.

The report says Oklahoma's investment in its roads and bridges is significantly below the national average. It says the state faces a significant challenge in just maintaining its 112,524 miles of public roads and 22,827 bridges.

Frank Moretti is director of research for the Washington, D-C group. He says without increases in funding Oklahoma motorists can expect to see more deterioration of the state's roads and bridges and more traffic congestion, especially in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Moretti says the Legislature embarked on a $1 billion statewide highway project in 1997 but has not funded the final $300 million of the program.