Questions and Answers with David Streb</span><br/><span class='hl2'>New I-40 Crosstown Expressway will bring value to city</span>

Q: It appears as if more money soon will be flowing into the depleted highway trust fund. But what sort of ripples will be felt in the highway construction industry if these funding shortfalls continue in the future?

A: The department is grateful that the United States Senate, including Sen. Jim Inhofe and Sen. Tom Coburn, acted quickly to return the $8 billion to the Highway Trust Fund to allow critical Oklahoma projects to move forward. Certainly, should future funding shortfalls occur in the Highway Trust Fund, similar measures to stop or reduce the highway construction program would have to be considered by the Transportation Commission. Hopefully, this recent situation won't arise the way it did last Monday. The need for dedicated secure funding at the federal level is critical in the formation of the next transportation bill.

Q: What is the economic effect of the new Interstate 40 Crosstown Expressway alone?

A: Having been associated with this project since January 1996, it is exciting to think of the positive impacts of this new expressway. Once completed, potentially, the impact of the new 10-lane I-40 Crosstown Expressway along with a new boulevard located where the existing bridge is today, the Core to Shore planned development including a marquis pedestrian bridge, a new NBA Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team and the recent announcement of the new Devon skyscraper will result in tremendous growth and economic vitality to this downtown area.

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