Why are Oklahoma's roads so crappy?

[farmerbyron]

Sand is an excellent foundation. All new houses are built on a sand base. For what its worth, I did the geometry for that new align. The elevation is based on hydraulic data and calculated to not overtop for a 50 year flood. Thank them that your road will likely never be under water.

Those curves wouldn't be underwater if Noah built a fukcing ark. I believe we had a 100 year flood in 07 and the old road was only underwater in between the curves and just east of the curve by the animal shelter. Even then, it was gone is a few hrs.

Don't get me wrong though. The road is much nicer with a large shoulder and more gradual curves but the elevation is major overkill.

Geometry? Does that mean you laid out the side roads to get on and off of 37?

 

[CHenry]

Those curves wouldn't be underwater if Noah built a fukcing ark. I believe we had a 100 year flood in 07 and the old road was only underwater in between the curves and just east of the curve by the animal shelter. Even then, it was gone is a few hrs.

Don't get me wrong though. The road is much nicer with a large shoulder and more gradual curves but the elevation is major overkill.

Geometry? Does that mean you laid out the side roads to get on and off of 37?

You seem rather combative. I don't understand if your blaming me for the improvements that were much needed.
You already said you weren't an engineer. That's obvious. I wouldn't tell you how to grow wheat.

 

[Okie4570]

FWIW, just got home from a 1793 mile trip from here in NW OK to Chicago and back. Highway 412 from I-35 to Tulsa is the worst of the entire trip, and it's mostly concrete turnpike, most of which is less than two years old. Could be like floating on a cloud in Cadilac........not in my F250. Some stretches of I-55 from St. Louis to Chicago are asphalt, and some rough places here and there....much like here.

Biggest thing I noticed from traveling in OK, MO and IL was that the roads in MO and IL may a have a bump here and there, but those bumps are patches, not unattended holes, like here. Also noticed that here in OK, the roads are not flat, and am constantly rocking around in our seats due to humps, dips and the roadway being not level from one side to the other. Only in OK, when getting on and off a bridge, it launches you up or down...........MO and IL, couldn't tell when you were getting on and off the bridges. There's signage from St. Louis to Joplin on I-44 advertising "more funding for our roads and bridges", must be an election coming up.

One last thing I noticed, MO highway patrol, approach and visit with the driver from the passenger window, and don't stand out along the outside lane like here in OK.

 

[dennishoddy]

One last thing I noticed, MO highway patrol, approach and visit with the driver from the passenger window, and don't stand out along the outside lane like here in OK.

Sounds like somebody got a traffic stop. Did he ask you where you were going?

 

[Okie4570]

Sounds like somebody got a traffic stop. Did he ask you where you were going?

LOL, no wasn't me...............or my wife

 

[Billybob]

Kind of off topic kind of not. Remember the Grand Jury issues in Rogers County where the GJ was not allowed to have the OSBI investigation results? Wonder if they'll be allowed to see the audit report now that they've reconvened?

Rogers County audit questions use of FEMA funding and vendor preference

Financial connection has been confirmed between Rogers County District 2 Commissioner Mike Helm and the business reported to have been given vendor preference as cited in the recent audit of Rogers County’s 2013 fiscal year.“Donelson contributed to his campaign”, said Gary Jones, Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector.According to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission’s Campaigns and Expenditures Report, the company allegedly shown vendor preference, Donelson Construction LLC., contributed $1,000 to Helm’s campaign in 2012.“Donelson contributed to Mike Helm’s campaign, and the company contributed to his campaign,” said Jones, referencing in addition to a business contribution a personal donation by the company’s president, David Donelson...

Helm has been hit hard by the report, with allegations ranging from the use of more than $4 million in FEMA funds for unapproved projects to the audit’s findings that he was involved in showing preference to a vendor in regards to construction. “They did a tremendous amount of business with Donelson Construction,” said Jones.“As a sole source, even though Donelson wasn’t the low bid, they gave it to them anyway. ”According to the 2013 Rogers County Audit, Donelson Construction supplied a product called ChipLock, and was given the bid because they were the only company available who could supply the product. “They gave the business to Donelson without bidding it” said Jones...

The justification behind using Donelson for its ability to provide an exceptional product has met with resistance as many of the roads on which Donelson Construction did work failed to show quality construction.

“A lot of the money was spent on roads that were not prepared with a base that would hold up, so now they’re crumbling and falling apart just within a couple of years,” Jones told Red Dirt Report. “We’ve got one road that they spent $140,000 on, and they’re already tearing up and redoing.”

“They paid for striping the roads, and there’s grass growing up through where the stripes are at, and if you look to see, you get down and you realize we have painted grass,” said Jones, “and they paid for that.”

During the period of the 2013 fiscal year it was found that the County consistently accepted bids that met the parameters of “first available and closest to the site,” rather than the traditional parameters of “lowest and best.”...

Jones added: “Once the emergency had been declared and they had this money, they changed the boundaries of his district. So there were some roads that became part of another district that they didn’t do that were approved to be done, and then he took money and used them on roads in his district.”...

http://www.reddirtreport.com/red-di...stions-use-fema-funding-and-vendor-preference

 

[Grendel]

^^ I mean...WTF-over?

Are we Oklahomans really this greedy and amoral? This is supposed to be the belt buckle of the Bible Belt. Is this how people think that Jesus would build a road?

 

[Billybob]

^^ I mean...WTF-over?

Are we Oklahomans really this greedy and amoral? This is supposed to be the belt buckle of the Bible Belt. Is this how people think that Jesus would build a road?

Considering the long record of corruption here it's pretty obvious some are.

 

[Billybob]

Fallout or CYA? Didn't other officials sue to stop allegations brought forth in the Grand Jury? Who stopped the GJ from getting the OSBI info?

Rogers County clerk sues The Daily Progress

Claremore Daily Progress Rogers County Clerk Robin Anderson has filed a lawsuit against The Daily Progress and the newspaper’s government reporter Salesha Wilken. Anderson claims the paper painted her in a false light and invaded her privacy through the publication of three news articles between July 2012 and August 2013.
She believes the newspaper published misleading facts about the execution of her duties and in some instances wrongly implicated her in criminal wrongdoing.

The suit was filed Thursday in the Rogers County District Court by attorney Gary Richardson of Tulsa. The defendants have not been officially served notice of the litigation. Anderson claims two articles published in 2012 misrepresent the facts about her involvement in the administration of $13 million in federal funds received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA.

The Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector issued multiple reports detailing noncompliance during the administration of the grant funding. The issues included falsifying invoices and back dating documentation. Anderson also asserts Wilken falsely alleged public records were withheld from the reporter in August 2013.
Subsequently Anderson filed a harassment complaint against Wilken.

Wilken sought access to the minutes of two meetings. Anderson denied the request, claiming the records were available on her computer, but refused to print them. Anderson asked the court for both exemplary and punitive damages in excess of $75,000 plus attorney fees.

http://examiner-enterprise.com/news/state/rogers-county-clerk-sues-daily-progress

 

[EhlerDave]

Why does Oklahoma use the lowest grade of asphalt, and the smallest aggregate compared to our neighboring states?

The size of aggregate changes for each job (each job has it's own specs) and for the purpose of the roadway. When working on I-35 we laid large aggregate for a base then they laid concrete on top of that.

Most first layers are bigger aggregate, the finish layer is finer to slow water soaking in, to try slowing the busting up during freezing.

The best question is how does such crap asphalt pass the tests the state orders.