Lawton’s I-44 pedestrian bridge project expected to move forward by spring

Construction could begin by spring on a pedestrian bridge project city officials have been actively pursuing for more than five years.

City Council members voted Tuesday to amend an existing agreement between the City of Lawton and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT), designating additional city funds toward a project to build a 10-foot-wide pedestrian bridge adjacent to the vehicular bridge on East Gore Boulevard over Interstate 44. The idea is to provide a safer route for pedestrians and bike riders who now must rely on a narrow shoulder on the bridge when they want to pass from one side of the interstate to the other.

ODOT recently opened bids on the project and is expected to award the project in February at the Oklahoma Transportation Commission’s monthly meeting. Lawton Public Utilities Director Rusty Whisenhunt said ODOT typically has a 60-day delay between awarding a bid and the beginning of construction, to allow officials to get agreements and materials in place. He said because the project is a pedestrian bridge, there will be some components that have to be manufactured.

ODOT is taking the lead on the project because it is providing more than half of the $2,558,909 cost, meaning ODOT will coordinate selection of the contractor and when work will begin.

The City of Lawton has had an agreement with ODOT since 2022 that specifies the details of the joint Lawton/state project. That original agreement was based on a total estimated cost of $1.87 million, with ODOT providing $1,010,334 and the City of Lawton the remaining $860,654. With the apparent low bid of $2,558,909, that left a gap between what is expected to be the cost and already identified funding.

ODOT has since agreed to grant an additional $550,600 for the project, bringing its total contribution to $1,560,934. Tuesday’s agreement by the City Council means Lawton will increase its funding for the project by $137,321, bringing its total cost to $997,975. Lawton funds will come from the 2019 Capital Improvements Program.

The project will create a stand-alone bridge parallel to the existing bridge between the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Office on the west side and the Comanche Nation Casino on the east.

East Lawton residents have said many people walk or bike along East Gore Boulevard, and must use a narrow, unsafe shoulder when they cross the bridge. The project has been supported by East Lawton council members because of the dangers posed to those pedestrians, as well as those who have tried to walk across the interstate below the bridge, despite fencing put into place specifically to stop that practice.

Former Ward 4 Councilman Jay Burk, who lobbied for the bridge project during his tenure, referenced two pedestrians who died trying to walk across the interstate, and said he feared what could happen to residents who cross the bridge above on foot, despite high speed traffic on East Gore Boulevard.

“It’s a matter of time before someone is hit on that bridge,” Burk said.

City officials say ODOT’s concerns about pedestrians is the reason that entity agreed to provide matching funds for construction.