Willis Bridge slotted to be completed in the spring

The Willis Bridge is the longest state-maintained bridge in Oklahoma with its namesake from the local community of Willis, Okla. The 62-year-old bridge is on SH-99/US-377 that connects Whitesboro, Texas and Madill, Okla.

With over 2,800 vehicles traveling across the bridge daily, it was deemed in poor condition by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. In November 2018, ODOTawardeda$43million contract to replace the Willis Bridge to Jensen Construction Co. of Sand Springs, Okla.

The company was the lowest of eight bidders for the job. Five of the other contractors were from Texas, one was from Kansas and the other from Florida. Financed with federal funds and about half being shared with Texas, the new bridge will be 5,462 feet long with two 12-foot-wide driving lanes and 10-footwide shoulders on each side.

The project was expected to begin in early 2019 lasting roughly two and a half years pending weather conditions and other factors. Other factors included the 2020 COVID pandemic that triggered a nationwide lockdown halting and delaying work.

Coming back to work after the pandemic left the workforce gutted and slowed down many projects that would have been completed on time. According to Justin Bishop from ODOT, the new overall completion date for the new Willis Bridge is set for Spring of 2023.

Bishop said they are currently working on the new structure and are anticipating that part of the project should be done by the end of the year. Bishop also stated that once traffic is on the new bridge, they will have additional roadway tie-ends to complete then the removal of the old bridge for an overall completion date set for Spring of 2023.