Filed by Michael Cross in Feature, Local News, Politics.
December 8, 2009

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation says it’s spent nearly 90% of federal stimulus money for highway and bridge projects.

ODOT officials say it was exactly a year ago that planning began on possible stimulus projects and since then 40 highway projects have been completed.

Transportation Secretary Gary Ridley says Oklahoma will have no problem reaching a September deadline to have all $465 million in stimulus money allocated for projects.

He says other states might not be able to which means the unused money could be funneled into ODOT for more projects.

Ridley says there are still 100 projects currently under construction including the IDL in Tulsa, I-40 east and west of Oklahoma City and I-35 north and south of Oklahoma City which means holiday drivers need to take it easy.

He says so far more than $200 million has been pumped into the state’s economy through payments to contractors.