Five-year program schedules 238 bridge projects and improvements to more than 800 miles of county roads across all 77 Oklahoma counties.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma residents can now see where nearly $1 billion in county road and bridge improvements are expected to be built over the next five years following approval of the state’s latest County Improvements for Roads and Bridges construction plan.
The Oklahoma Transportation Commission recently approved the State Fiscal Year 2027-2031 County Improvements for Roads and Bridges, or CIRB, Five-Year Construction Work Plan, a roadmap scheduling approximately $956.8 million in county transportation projects across all 77 Oklahoma counties. The plan calls for replacing or rehabilitating 238 county bridges — including 105 currently classified as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete — while improving approximately 808 miles of county roadways.
Unlike the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s highway construction program, the CIRB plan focuses exclusively on roads and bridges owned and maintained by county governments. Those roads connect farms to highways, provide access to rural communities, schools and businesses, and serve as critical routes for emergency services and freight movement.
A partnership between counties and the state
The CIRB program was created by the Oklahoma Legislature in 2006 to help counties address aging infrastructure that often exceeds local budgets. County commissioners identify their highest-priority transportation needs, Circuit Engineering Districts assist in evaluating and developing projects, and ODOT works with local officials to assemble a fiscally balanced five-year construction plan for approval by the Transportation Commission.
Rather than serving as a one-time spending package, the work plan is updated annually. Projects advance through engineering, right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation and construction, allowing counties to plan major infrastructure improvements years in advance.
Where the money comes from
Although commonly described as a $950 million program, the approved work plan totals approximately $956.8 million when all funding sources are included.
The largest share — about $660.2 million — comes from the dedicated CIRB program funded through state motor vehicle taxes. Another $217.4 million comes from federal transportation programs, with additional funding provided through tribal partnerships, other funding sources and local matching funds.
The work plan also projects counties will leverage more than $296 million in federal Surface Transportation Block Grant funding, other grants and tribal partnerships during the five-year program.
A program with measurable results
The newly approved work plan builds on nearly two decades of county infrastructure investment.
According to ODOT, CIRB funding has helped replace 867 county bridges and improve more than 1,328 miles of county roadways since the program began. Those projects represent more than $1.7 billion in statewide transportation investment.
“ODOT is proud to partner with county commissioners to deliver infrastructure improvements that make a lasting difference in communities across Oklahoma,” Transportation Secretary Tim Gatz said in a statement. “With the continued support of the Transportation Commission and the Legislature, these investments will improve safety, enhance mobility and strengthen county road and bridge infrastructure for generations to come.”
Projects span every region of Oklahoma
The five-year work plan includes projects in every Oklahoma county, from bridge replacements in rural communities to roadway improvements supporting economic development corridors.
The accompanying graphic highlights several of the largest and most notable projects included in the 2027-2031 work plan, illustrating the breadth of investments planned across the state.
The detailed work plan schedules projects by county and fiscal year through 2031, providing county officials and residents with a long-range view of where local transportation dollars are expected to be invested.
