Officials laud progress as Interstate 40 Crosstown bridge demolition begins

Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, spoke at a news conference on a stretch of the old highway, which is under demolition. The project is an example of the importance of giving states the flexibility to decide what to do with roads and bridges within their borders, Lankford said.

Crews began pulling down the I-40 Crosstown bridge Thursday. State Transportation Department officials expect the demolition to take about eight months, agency spokeswoman Brenda Perry said. A new highway opened earlier this year, replacing the old Crosstown.

The scheduled demolition follows unsuccessful lobbying by city officials to have the project delayed until after the NBA playoffs and Independence Day weekend, one of the busiest seasons for visitor and tourist business in Bricktown.

Once the demolition is complete, steel beams from the old Crosstown will be used in about 300 county bridge projects across Oklahoma, Transportation Department officials said. Gov. Mary Fallin said reusing those materials will help Oklahoma shore up the 706 structurally deficient bridges statewide.

Oklahoma has the fifth-most structurally deficient bridges. In the coming years, Fallin said, she hopes to see Oklahoma ranked as the state with the fewest structurally deficient bridges. The demolition of the bridge and the reuse of steel beams to repair and rebuild other bridges represent a major step toward that goal, she said.

Once the Crosstown is razed, city planners intend to build a new downtown boulevard roughly in its path. Fallin said she hopes the new road will allow for better traffic flow in and around Oklahoma City. Once complete, she said, it will also provide a prime location for shops and businesses to open.