Transportation Commission approves contracts, supplements and change orders; accepts settlements and emergency repair report

The Oklahoma Transportation Commission approved multiple contracts, engineering supplements and change orders, accepted insurance settlements covering damage to state property and received an informational briefing on an emergency bridge repair during its meeting.

The commission voted to approve routine and non-routine items on the agenda, including a statewide on-demand land-surveying contract series with a $15,000,000 aggregate value and a change order that exceeds the statutory 10% contract limit by $2,554,649.86. Commissioners also consented to an assignment of two highway-construction contracts and accepted two partial insurance settlements to cover damage to traffic-control equipment and an impact attenuator.

Why this matters: Several actions approved this session involve multi-million-dollar construction contracts and a change order that required explicit commission approval because it exceeded the department’s statutory authority. Those decisions affect schedules and budgets for ongoing and planned projects across multiple districts.

Key actions and outcomes

- Item 61: Approval of the minutes from the Transportation Commission meeting on 04/07/2025 — motion carried.

- Item 66: Award of a statewide on-demand land-surveying contract series. The department named 10 firms to the pool and described the aggregate series value as $15,000,000. Approval recommended by the presenting staff and passed by the commission.

- Item 67: Engineering contract supplements (parts a–d) including a McCurtain County reconstruction supplement not to exceed $2,000,000 and other supplements with values ranging from $19,500 to $259,701. The commission approved the supplements.

- Item 70: Damage-to-state-property settlements. The commission accepted insurance offers for two incidents: a traffic signal in Wewoka (damage recorded at $39,290; insurer offered the $25,000 policy limit) and an impact attenuator on I-40 (repairs cost $29,668.13; insurer offered $25,000). The Office of General Counsel recommended acceptance of the offered amounts and the commission approved the settlements.

- Item 71: Emergency declaration for bridge repair (information only). District staff discovered an extremely loose expansion plate on a Roosevelt Bridge structure over Lake Texoma. Under the director’s delegated emergency authority (citing Title 61), the department issued an emergency contract to Built Right Construction LLC; final cost reported to the commission was $48,763.

- Item 72: Commission consent to an assignment and assumption agreement transferring two highway-construction contracts from Haskell Lehi Group LLC to J and R Constructors Group LLC; the commission approved the assignment by resolution under Title 61.

- Item 73: Change order exceeding statutory limits (Cherokee County bank protection project on State Highway 10). The commission approved a recommended change order of $2,554,649.86 to address unforeseen geotechnical conditions (lower-than-expected rock elevation required additional drilled shafts and associated work) and extended contract time by 409 calendar days. Because the amount exceeds the department’s 10% limit on contract additions, commission approval was required and obtained.

- Item 75: Awards from April bid openings. Multiple call orders from the April 10 and April 17 bid openings were recommended for award and the commission approved the recommended awards; one item (call order 838 from April 17) was deferred.

How the votes were taken: Commissioners moved and seconded the listed agenda motions; for each motion the meeting record states that the motion passed. Specific vote tallies were not recorded in the public transcript excerpt; the minutes show the motions carried.

Process notes and next steps

- The change order approved for the bank-protection project in Cherokee County increases the contract beyond the statutorily authorized 10% addition; the department said the change was needed after construction-time geotechnical discrepancies were discovered.

- The emergency bridge repair on the Roosevelt bridge was executed under director-delegated emergency authority; the commission was informed of the work and final cost as an informational item.

- The statewide land-surveying contract pool will be used on an as-needed basis by ODOT districts.

Speakers quoted or referenced in the record included the department’s presenters (Mister Hernandez and Mister Davis), Director Gatz, Miss Penn (claims), and various commissioners who moved and seconded motions. The transcript shows motions and seconds for each agenda vote and the clerk recorded that motions passed.

Less-critical items and informational reports, such as change orders under $150,000 and proposed bid openings for June–August 2025, were presented for approval or information as listed in the commission packet.

Votes at a glance (selected items)

- Item 61 — Minutes approval: Passed (motion by Dyson; second by Bridal Miller, per meeting record). - Item 66 — Statewide land-surveying contract series ($15,000,000 aggregate): Approved. - Item 67 — Engineering contract supplements (parts a–d): Approved. - Item 70 — Damage settlements (two claims; insurer offers accepted): Approved. - Item 71 — Emergency repair (Roosevelt Bridge; Built Right Construction LLC): Reported (information only); final cost $48,763. - Item 72 — Assignment of contracts (HLG to J and R): Approved. - Item 73 — Change order exceeding statutory limits (Paradigm Construction bank protection contract): Approved; additional $2,554,649.86; time extension 409 calendar days. - Item 75 — Bid awards from April regular bid openings: Approved; one call order deferred.

The commission adjourned after completing the agenda.