A groundbreaking ceremony launched the planned replacement of the Roosevelt Bridge on US-70 over Lake Texoma. Sherman is about 9 miles southwest of Denison. The bridge links Bryan and Marshall counties and carries more than 11,000 vehicles daily between southern Oklahoma, northern Texas and southern Arkansas.
The Oklahoma Transportation Department hosted the event alongside the design-build team and federal, state, local and Tribal officials. Tim Gatz, the transportation secretary and ODOT executive director, served as emcee. Participants included Federal Highway Administration Administrator Sean McMaster, U.S. Sen. James Lankford, state legislators, community members, and representatives of Zachry Construction and Traylor Bros.
The project is expected to exceed $408 million. It is intended to replace the approximately 80-year-old bridge and improve safety and reliability along the corridor. The Federal Highway Administration’s Bridge Investment Program is providing $124 million, with additional state and federal investment.
Plans include a four-lane bridge, improvements to the US-70 approaches, full shoulders, lighting and a pedestrian path. ODOT said it will work with local communities and regional partners during construction. Zachry Construction and Traylor Bros. are heading the design-build team, which was chosen through a competitive procurement process under a modified progressive design-build method.
No completion date was provided.
