Published: May 16, 2008 10:34 am            

Memorial Road interchange construction set

EDMOND — Edmond’s gateway will begin undergoing major reconstruction in mid-July. The 1960s road design for the Memorial Road interchange on Broadway will be updated with an engineering design reflecting the needs of Edmond’s thriving population of 75,000 residents.

Edmond City Manager Larry Stevens reported at a recent City Council meeting that $30 million of Oklahoma Department of Transportation funding is intact for the Memorial Road interchange project at Broadway.

The project is expected to move forward with incentives for early completion, said Terri Angier, ODOT spokeswoman. Drivers will face lane changes as the Broadway Extension will remain open during construction.

“There’s 540 calendar days to do that. It’s a large project,” Stevens said. “Fortunately, ODOT is funding the entire cost.”

Today, northbound Broadway drivers exiting at Memorial face two traffic lights before making a right on Kelly. The avenue curves at an angle where it meets Memorial. The new design will extend Kelly under the Broadway Extension as a straight-through street, Angier said. Drivers heading south face a stop light at Memorial before crossing the intersection. Drivers will have their own dedicated lane off of Kelly.

Road officials worried in April that funding for the future Broadway Extension interchange improvements could be in jeopardy unless the 3 percent trigger in House Bill 1176 is eliminated. A press conference in April by the Oklahoma Transportation Commission suggested that several scheduled transportation projects amounting to $127.5 million could be canceled if changes are not made by the state lawmakers.

However, Angier noted that funding for the Memorial Road interchange is secure because its contract agreement had been approved in March.

Allen Contracting Inc. was awarded the contract in March and previously earned an early completion incentive by the city for some road work at Seventh Street and Kelly Avenue, Stevens added.

The funding crisis has resulted from well-meaning legislation approved in 2006. House Bill 1176 sought to increase ODOT’s state funding above the $200 million a year mark during a period of three to four years. However, a 3 percent state revenue growth trigger was added to the bill. Because state revenue was not estimated above that mark in either of the past two years, ODOT instead received $32.5 million a year, Angier said, creating the $127 million shortfall.

The 3 percent trigger remains in place, impacting some of the other phases of roadway construction. Future projects such as the interchange reconstruction at Broadway Extension and Interstate 44 may be pulled from the ODOT plan, Angier said.

ODOT will have to balance its budget in June after the state legislative session ends later this month.

“We’re still optimistic things can happen,” Angier said. “There’s a lot of discussion at the Capitol not only about removing the trigger but about bond packages.”



jcoburn@edmondsun.com |

341-2121, ext. 114

        

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