Streets, Roads, and Bridges Committee formed

August 11, 2023

Caitlin Gatlin | Communications & Marketing Manager

A committee has been formed to develop an eight-year plan for street & bridge improvements across the City of Lawton.

During Tuesday’s City Council Meeting, Mayor Stan Booker appointed Councilman George Gill as the Chair of the Streets, Roads, and Bridges Committee, with Councilmen Kelly Harris & Allan Hampton as committee members. City staff from the Engineering, Public Works, and City Manager’s Office will sit on the committee as well.

Based off the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s plan to keep state roads up to par, the plan will set priorities and build policies to support the improvements.
A plan to address deteriorating streets & bridges in the City of Lawton is already underway with the proposal to extend the 2017 Ad Valorem Program.

The proposal will go before voters during the City of Lawton’s Special Election on September 12, 2023 and will allow for an additional $60 million to improve Lawton bridges and streets.

The priorities set by the newly established committee come on the heels of a pavement assessment that was completed in 2022. The assessment concluded 37.7% of streets are rated “Good” to “Excellent.” The assessment concluded 62.3% of streets are “Fair” to “Very Poor.”

“Not every street needs to be torn up and replaced,” said Councilman Gill. “We have a lot of streets that can be resurfaced and get another 7 to 10 years out of them. We have to set priorities for the new ad valorem tax, we need to address the water drainage problems that are deteriorating our streets, and we need to find cost effective & life extending measures to repair our roads and bridges.”

The Streets, Roads, and Bridges Committee will meet on an ad needed basis. A report will be made available to citizens following each meeting at lawtonok.gov.