The Oklahoma Department of Transportation, in a Monday meeting, approved a $408 million contract to replace the Roosevelt Bridge on Highway 70 over Lake Texoma that spans Bryan and Marshall counties.
ODOT Commissioner Eric Stuteville of Durant, in a social media post said, “This morning as your ODOT Commissioner, I proudly made the motion to approve the largest bridge contract in Oklahoma’s history for the new Roosevelt bridge on Highway 70 over Lake Texoma. Construction will begin in the coming months and will be fully complete in fall 2029, including removal of the old bridge. It’s a big day for all of Southeast Oklahoma.”
In July 2024, it was announced that ODOT would be receiving $123.8 million in federal funds to replace the Roosevelt Bridge.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigiegs said in a news release at that time that the new bridge will accommodate future traffic demands and improve the efficiency and reliability of the movement of people and freight. It will also have a bicycle and a pedestrian crossing.
The new bridge will be constructed south of the current one, according to Buttigiegs.
The current bridge was constructed in the 1940s, and officials say it is outdated and unsafe.