March 19, 2019
By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph –
Oklahoma’s first ever “diverging diamond interchange” will be built soon in Elk City.
Commissioners with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation awarded the contract to build the interchange at their most recent meeting that will include the rebuilding of both Main Street bridges as they cross Interstate 40.
District 5 Division Engineer Brent Almquist says the biggest thing about the almost $16-million dollar project is that it will replace two structurally deficient bridges.
The design for the interchange was drawn up by the ODOT architects in Oklahoma City. It’s a conceptual design that is award winning.
Almquist and his division staff are all excited about the design and getting started on the project.
The total project that includes reconstruction of I-40 Business in Sayre amounts to $28.6 million dollars.
He says the construction on the roadway on either side of the bridges may start sooner than September 1, but the actual demolition and construction of the two bridges won’t begin until that date due to environmental constraints.
– 30 –