‘A patchwork quilt’ Since January 2008, the Transportation Department has responded to at least a half-dozen emergencies for damage, such as holes in the bridge deck, White said. On Dec. 30, a trailer came loose from a truck and damaged a portion of the bridge.
"The top deck looks a little bit like a patchwork quilt in places where they’ve had to go in and do the emergency repairs,” Transportation Department spokeswoman Kenna Mitchell said.
Its 24-foot width is 4 feet narrower than its companion span, and with a limited clearance — 14 feet, 8 inches — the structure is prone to damage from oversized loads, White said.
Construction costs for a new bridge are an estimated $4 million, White said.
Ross wrote the book "Oklahoma Route 66” and is co-founder of "American Road Magazine.”
He said he has been encouraged in recent years by the Transportation Department’s increased awareness of historical structures, as well as cultural and local history.
"I do think there has been some movement in the right direction,” Ross said. "I just think there needs to be more of it.
"If a bridge can be made safe and made enhanced to stay in service, that’s what they should do, even if it costs more money than replacing the bridge. I realize from an engineering point of view that some bridges can’t be repaired. But to me that begs a new question: ‘Why do you let them get in that state of disrepair?’”
37° 