By Conrad Dudderar
Senior Staff Writer
A $3.8 million asphalt resurfacing project will benefit motorists traveling in northwest Canadian County.
An Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) contractor will resurface a 3.35-mile section of State Highway 3 (Northwest Expressway) from 4 miles southeast of U.S. 81 extending southeast.
Canadian County Commission Chairman Marc Hader said he receives frequent inquiries from citizens asking when the worn roadway surface will be replaced.
The project will stretch along SH-3 between the U.S. 81 interchange and Banner Road, the District 1 county commissioner noted.
With Northwest Expressway in his district, Hader said there are few roadway topics that he receives more feedback from. He referred to the roadway’s condition, “with all of its joints that rattle your suspension.”
“So, this project moving forward as a piece of reconstruction of Northwest Expressway is a very welcome development,” Hader said.
Many citizens do not realize that Northwest Expressway is under the jurisdiction of the state transportation department – not Canadian County Commissioners, he added.
“The average daily traffic count of Northwest Expressway west of State Highway 4 is approaching 10,000 cars a day, with the vast majority of my constituents in District 1 using it as one of their major corridors to get around in their daily lives,” Hader said.
Since this part of Northwest Expressway in Canadian County is a state highway, ODOT recently solicited bids from paving contractors for the asphalt resurfacing project. Four bids were opened March 19.
Engineer’s estimate was $4,210,235.
Atlas Paving Co. of Oklahoma City was awarded the contract after submitting the low bid of $3,794,827 – about 10 percent below the engineer’s estimate.
Other contractors submitting bids were T.J. Campbell Construction Co. ($4,190,285), Haskell Lemon Construction Co. ($4,890,000) and Silver Star Construction Co. ($5,304,630).
State transportation officials have allotted 90 calendar days for Atlas Paving to complete this SH-3 resurfacing project.
