The commission awarded a $15 million contract for construction of the pier protection program following recommendations in the wake of a 2002 incident in which a barge struck and destroyed a section of Interstate 40 near Webbers Falls.
On May 26, 2002, a barge traveling out of the navigation channel slammed into a pier supporting the Interstate 40 bridge over the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System causing a 503-foot section to collapse. Fourteen people were killed before traffic could be stopped on the bridge. The incident caused $30 million in costs to rebuild the bridge, including the cost of detours.
Approval of the bridge shields follows extensive studies by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and others that suggested ways to prevent future such incidents. The studies looked at a variety of ways to protect bridges, as well as ways to cost effectively implement a protection program.
"We consider the Webbers Falls incident to be the worst tragedy in the history of ODOT, and I am glad to see this project finally beginning," Gary Ridley, ODOT director, said. "All of our bridges are safe, but this will add an extra layer of protection giving comfort to citizens who drive in these areas.
"While the NTSB findings focused primarily on safety devices onboard boats, we felt it important ODOT be proactive in preventing such incidents and to become a national leader in navigational bridge safety," Ridley said.
Columns will be built in strategic locations along the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, protecting bridges at State Highway 100, U.S. Highway 62, Interstate 40 and State Highway 51. Ridley said the columns will be 12 feet wide, anchored in bedrock and will extend about 15 feet above the water surface. In many cases, they will not be visible from atop bridges they protect.
Columns will be built at four of the 12 highway crossings on the navigation system. Other bridges may have already had similar structures or piers in shallow waters that would not be vulnerable to similar incidents. Part of the studies determined which bridges needed the extra protection, Ridley said.
With the construction of the pier protection system, Oklahoma will be the only state to build such a system of columns protecting bridges on inland waterways, although some states have built similar columns to protect bridges along ocean waterways.
Construction on the pier protection system is expected to begin in the spring and last until the summer of 2007. The project was awarded to Jensen Construction. Jensen Construction crews were working in the area at the time of the initial incident and immediately brought them and equipment to aid the rescue, recovery and salvage operations.
