ODOT approves engineering contracts and supplements totaling multimillion dollars across districts

The Transportation Commission voted to approve a slate of engineering contracts and first supplements covering projects statewide, department staff said Jan. 6.

Mr. Hernandez presented item 3, which included a statewide contract with WSB LLC to inspect and inventory billboards and junkyards along state right‑of‑way for $1,321,223.51, plus district projects such as Holloway, Updike & Bell for $797,600 on US‑62 (Cherokee County) and MacArthur Associated Consultants for $2,512,246.38 on I‑44/89th Street in Cleveland County. Multiple other firms were listed with contract values ranging from about $1.2 million to $3.0 million; many construction phases were tied to ODOT’s 8‑year construction work plan with scheduled lettings across federal fiscal years 2026–2033.

When the chairman asked for a plain‑English definition, Hernandez said ‘‘it’s not just gonna be a resurfacing’’ and described reconstruct/rehabilitate work as likely including full‑depth pavement replacement and addition of shoulders.

Item 4 presented first supplements for previously selected firms (examples included Consor North America for South 289th Street bridge final design and EST Inc. changing plans from extending three bridge structures to replacing them), some with supplement dollars cited (for example, $87,000 and $115,000). Commissioners moved and approved both items by voice vote; the transcript records "Motion passes" without recorded tallies.

Staff noted some projects were reprioritized in the latest 8‑year construction work plan because of funding pressures. Commissioners did not request additional direction beyond approving the contracts and supplements at this meeting.