Oklahoma § 69-656 - Bridge or construction projects on county primary road

§ 69-656. Bridge or construction projects on county primary road

system.

A. The county commissioners in each county shall designate a

county primary road system as provided for in Section 654 of this

title, and upon completion, the board of county commissioners in any

county may program bridge or roadway projects located on the county

primary road system in accordance with the provisions of this

section.

B. Any bridge or roadway construction project which materially

contributes to improving the adequacy of the county primary road

system which meets accepted design standards may be considered

eligible.

C. Design standards for projects to be constructed under this

section shall be developed cooperatively between the Oklahoma

Cooperative Circuit Engineering Districts Board and the Department

of Transportation; provided however, any such standards so developed

must meet the minimum criteria required to assure federal

participation in the project if such participation is to be used for

such project.

D. The Department of Transportation shall be the administering

agency, and, in cooperation with the Oklahoma Cooperative Circuit

Engineering Districts Board, shall develop and promulgate

regulations for the carrying out of the provisions of this section.

Provided however, any such administrative procedures so developed

shall be subject to the approval of the State Transportation

Commission.

E. The county shall be responsible for plans, surveys and other

necessary engineering to prepare the project for contract letting;

however, construction engineering shall be performed by the

Department of Transportation.

F. The county shall be responsible for the acquisition of all

rights-of-way required to construct the project including relocation

assistance payments and the costs associated with necessary utility

relocations or adjustments. All right-of-way acquisition activities

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 69. Roads, Bridges, and Ferries

shall be carried out in accordance with applicable state statutes.

Assistance in the preparation of deeds and easements, in the actual

acquisition of real property, and in the relocation of families and

businesses shall be provided by the Department of Transportation

upon written request of the county.

G. Projects shall be let to contract by the State

Transportation Commission through competitive bidding procedures,

provided however, force account projects may be awarded to the

county by the Transportation Commission based upon agreed unit

prices, if deemed in the best public interest.

H. Counties constructing projects under provisions of this

section shall enter into an agreement with the Department of

Transportation that the county will adequately maintain any bridge

or road built under this section. Funds provided to support the

accomplishment of this section shall be withheld from any county not

providing adequate maintenance for projects built under its

provisions.

I. While the intent of the Legislature is that any funds

utilized under this section be directed primarily toward the

replacement of inadequate bridges on the county primary road system,

emphasizing those portions of that system serving as school bus

routes, it is also recognized that other critical road needs may

exist in the various counties; therefore, projects in an amount not

to exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) may be approved

under this section for these other critical needs in those instances

where such approval can be justified by the county. It is further

the intent of the Legislature that this be a continuing program so

that significant improvement in the overall adequacy of Oklahoma's

county road system may be realized.

Added by Laws 1978, c. 274, § 10, emerg. eff. May 10, 1978. Amended

by Laws 1979, c. 288, § 11, emerg. eff. June 7, 1979; Laws 1980, c.

349, § 16, emerg. eff. June 25, 1980; Laws 1992, c. 80, § 3, eff.

July 1, 1992; Laws 2017, c. 20, § 4, eff. Nov. 1, 2017.