AASHTO Journal, 27 June 2014
Residents in the Oklahoma communities of Purcell and Lexington are once again able to easily access surrounding communities now that the Oklahoma Department of Transportation recently reopened a bridge that had been closed for emergency repairs.
The James C. Nance Bridge (or the US-77/SH-39 bridge), which spans the South Canadian River and connects the two communities only one mile apart, was closed on Jan. 31 after ODOT discovered multiple bridge beam cracks. The closure greatly impacted the community, as it necessitated a detour that turned a typical 10-minute drive into a 45-minute trip on the interstate for the 10,000 vehicles that cross the bridge each day, though ODOT tried to ease the pain with a free shuttle service (of which 11,000 riders took advantage). Upon further inspection, work to fix those 11 cracks turned into a project that included more than 100. ODOT worked with contractor Manhattan Road and Bridge Co. to repair more than 1,000 “weakened areas” on the bridge as quickly as possible.
The bridge work was completed with a $20 million hit to ODOT’s contingency fund, but reopened on June 13 for the communities that rely on the major transportation link to get to other local communities.
“This was an unprecedented challenge in ODOT’s history and one that has tested us all,” said ODOT Executive Director Mike Patterson in a statement. “Through a great team effort between the local community, construction contractors, engineering consultants, transit operators and ODOT employees, the bridge is safe and we are happy to reopen this vital transportation link.”
ODOT officials said the bridge, which was originally built in 1938, will be replaced within the next five years.
