A long-awaited chapter in the history of Lake Texoma officially began Thursday, Sept. 10, as state, federal and local officials gathered at Lake Texoma State Park for the groundbreaking of the newU.S.70RooseveltBridge. Theceremonymarkedthebeginning of a more than $408 million project to replace the 81-year-old bridge connecting Marshall and Bryan countiesacrossLakeTexoma.
Roughly 130 people attended the event, which included Oklahoma Transportation Secretary and Oklahoma Department of Transportation Executive Director Tim Gatz, Federal HighwayAdministrationAdministrator Sean McMaster, U.S. Sen. James Lankford, State Sen. David Bullard, State Rep. Cody Maynard and District 2 Oklahoma Transportation Commissioner Eric Stuteville.
For residents who have watchedtheRooseveltBridge carry generations of families, school buses, workers, boaters and tourists between Kingston and the Durant area, Thursday's ceremony was more than a ceremonial turning of dirt. It represented the beginning of a project that has been discussed and planned for years.
Theexistingbridgeopened in 1945 and has served as a major transportation link across Lake Texoma for more than eight decades. Today, the U.S. 70 corridor carries more than 11,000 vehicles each day, making the crossing importantnotonlytolocal residents but also to tourism, commerceandregionaltransportation between southern Oklahoma, North Texas and beyond.
The new project will construct a four-lane bridge alongside the existing structure. The finished bridge will include full shoulders, improved lighting and a dedicated pedestrian path for walking and bicycling.
Roadway approaches on U.S. 70 also will be improved as part of the project.
The price tag is a significant one. The Oklahoma Transportation Commission approved a $408 million contract in April for Zachry Construction and Traylor Bros. to provide final design and construction services.
Theprojectisbeingfunded through a combination of federal and state dollars, including a $124 million Federal HighwayAdministration Bridge Investment Program grant, the largest transportation grant in Oklahoma history.
The original project estimate had been considerably lower. In 2024, ODOT described the bridge replacement as a roughly $250 million project, with the $124 million federal grant and state funding expected to help accelerate construction.
As design progressed, the final contract value was established at $408 million. Lankford, who helped secure thefederalfunding,calledthe project a historic investment in Southern Oklahoma and said the new bridge will provide safer and more reliable travel for school buses, truck drivers, families and tourists crossing Lake Texoma.
For those who have spent years driving across the old bridge, there is also an emotional side to seeing the new structure take shape. The Roosevelt Bridge is more than concrete and steel. It is part of the daily rhythm of the Texoma area, the route to work, school, restaurants, fishing spots, family gatherings and vacations.
For anyone who has stood beneath the massive structure or watched construction crews begin working over the water, there is a certain reaction that seems appropriate: “when you're close up, give me the shivers.”
While the new bridge is being built, the existing Roosevelt Bridge will remain open to traffic, meaning motorists should not face the kind of lengthy closure that would otherwise be expected from a project of this size. Early construction activity is already underway, including site preparation, tree clearing and drilling from barges into the lake bottom to determine the conditions where the new bridge piers will be anchored.
Lake Texoma reaches depths of about 65 feet near the bridge, making the foundation work one of the project's major engineering challenges. The work is expected to continue through the next several years, with the new bridge scheduled to be completed in fall 2029.
Once finished, U.S. 70 will provide a modern four- lane crossing designed to serve the Texoma region for generations to come. Thursday's groundbreaking was not simply about breaking ground, it was about finally beginning construction on a replacement for a bridge that has stood over Lake Texoma since the middle of the 20th century and building the next transportation link for a region that continues to grow.
For Marshall County and thecommunitiessurrounding Lake Texoma, the Roosevelt Bridge project has moved from years of planning and funding discussions to something residents can now see taking shape on the horizon.