Caldwell and Haste Celebrate Historic $75 Million Investment in County Roads and Bridges

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Appropriations & Budget Chair Trey Caldwell, R-Lawton, and Vice Chair of Senate Appropriations Sen. John Haste, R-Broken Arrow, applauded the governor's signing of House Bill 2758, landmark legislation they authored that delivers up to $75 million in new resources for county roads and bridges across Oklahoma.

The measure, which now becomes law, is one of the largest single-year investments in county transportation infrastructure in state history. It provides critical support to counties as they work to improve road conditions, address structurally deficient bridges, and bolster rural and urban transportation networks that Oklahomans rely on every day.

“This puts this critical funding directly into the hands of our counties to fix the roads and bridges they know best,” Caldwell said. “This will keep Oklahomans safe as they travel. It will keep commerce moving through our rural and urban areas to the economic benefit of all Oklahomans, and it will lead to job growth and support the long-term future of Oklahoma’s infrastructure. We’re proud to stand with county officials in delivering the resources they’ve long needed.”

Haste, the Senate author of the bill added,  “This legislation is about solving real problems in every corner of our state. Oklahoma currently has 1,764 structurally deficient county bridges, making this historic investment critical to public safety and infrastructure modernization. HB 2758 delivers the funding counties need to begin replacing them, and to upgrade thousands of miles of rural roads that are vital to public safety, agriculture, and economic development.”

Under the bill, counties may access up to $4,000 per mile of county roads to support targeted repairs and infrastructure modernization. This increase is significant.

The new law is the product of collaboration between the Legislature, Gov. Kevin Stitt, and the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma (ACCO), which championed the effort to secure new funding for all 77 counties.

“This funding empowers counties to take on the kinds of large-scale repairs and upgrades that have too often been delayed due to lack of funding,” Haste said. “This is what good policy looks like — meeting a long-standing need with smart investment and strong partnership.”

Caldwell added, "The majority of roads and bridges in Oklahoma are maintained by our counties. It's imperative we give them the tools and funding they need to properly maintain them for the safety of their residents and the businesses that rely on these lifelines. Getting this historic legislation signed into law is a huge win for all of Oklahoma."

###