ODOT secretary outlines retro fund awards, ports‑of‑entry upgrades and PAC fund administration
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Summary
ODOT Secretary Tim Gatz updated the committee on retro funding distribution (two $200M rounds), projects awarded and underway, ports‑of‑entry and weigh‑station investments, and explained why ODOT temporarily administered PAC county funds after the Tax Commission said it lacked statutory authority.
Secretary Tim Gatz of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation told an interim legislative oversight committee that the department has used recent one‑time 'retro' funding to accelerate a large set of county and state transportation projects and to shore up weigh‑station and port‑of‑entry infrastructure.
Gatz said the retro program—established in statute in 2021/22 and intended to be a revolving fund for one‑time infusions—received $200 million in 2024 and $200 million in FY25. As of the committee meeting he said the department had awarded roughly $249 million of that funding and estimated the two rounds support about $1.4 billion of construction projects when paired with other funding.
He reported six substantially complete retro projects (across five counties) representing 21.5 miles of road and two bridges, and 31 projects currently under construction in 22 counties (about 112 miles and 45 bridges) totaling approximately $225 million in active construction. Gatz said the department has $151 million in retro funds allocated to 25 upcoming projects in 19 counties that will advance another $643 million to construction before 2028.
On lake and industrial access, Gatz said the department requested a $10 million commitment and noted a prior FY25 cycle received 55 lake‑access applications requesting more than $31 million; 24 projects were approved and $11.1 million was awarded in July 2024. He also described a $5 million allocation for industrial access at the Port of Inola along US‑412 and ongoing work to improve interchanges to meet interstate standards.
Gatz reviewed ports of entry and weigh‑station work, saying previous investments and a $20 million legislative set‑aside helped build and renovate inspection facilities. He described a planned replacement of the aging OkiePros permitting system with a vendor product called ProMiles and said internal way‑station projects are underway, including a Davis project whose contract was awarded at roughly $6.8 million and a Guthrie design expected to proceed in 2026.
On the PAC county funding enacted by House Bill 2758, Gatz said the law directed an anticipated $75 million of gross production tax revenue—$50 million for county roads (to bring counties up to a target of $4,000 per mile) and $25 million for county bridges. Because the Tax Commission informed ODOT it was not statutorily able to disperse the PAC dollars, ODOT temporarily administered the $50 million to avoid delaying counties. Gatz said he would welcome legislative clarification so the Tax Commission could distribute funds directly in the future.
Gatz also noted that 2026 disbursements are running below projections; gross production tax receipts were about 78% of projected as of February, so if the full $50 million is not realized counties below the target will receive pro‑rata shares. He said 48 bridge applications totaling more than $45 million were received and that ODOT expects to present 16 bridge projects totaling about $11 million to the Oklahoma Transportation Commission on April 6, with additional rounds possible if revenues permit.
Representatives asked for lists of approved lake/industrial projects and awarded school grant recipients; Gatz agreed to provide project lists and said the department will continue to advance projects as funding and construction readiness allow. The committee adjourned after the presentations with no formal votes recorded.
