Edmond Life and Leisure - September 18, 2025

Upcoming project will honor McCaleb

The September meeting of the Oklahoma Transportation Commission was held last Monday with commissioners briefed on the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s new statewide seat belt safety campaign, “Never Skip the Click,” which is in partnership with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.

ODOT also received top honors from the regional ITS Heartland Chapter and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Commissioners approved memorial designations and sign installations statewide, among them the “Ambassador Neal McCaleb Memorial Interchange” at the I-35 and East 33rd interchange in Edmond in honor of former Transportation Secretary and ODOT Executive Director Neal McCaleb who passed away last January.

The commission voted to award several contracts, among them a pavement improvement project on US-69 near Chouteau in Mayes County, and improvements to two increasingly traveled corridors on SH-37 near Idabel in McCurtain County and SH-7 near Sulphur in Murray Co.

The next OTC meeting will be October 6 at 11am at ODOT headquarters.

Senator Encourages Oklahomans to 'Never Skip the Click'

Senate Aeronautics & Transportation Chairman Darcy Jech (SD 26) has joined ODOT and OTA in encouraging Oklahomans to practice seatbelt safety through the statewide "Never Skip the Click" campaign. ODOT and OTA launched the campaign this month in response to Oklahoma's

low seat belt usage rate of 86%, which falls below the national average of 91%. National Highway Traffic Safety statistics show those in rural areas face increased risk, with only 77% of males over 16 using seat belts.

"Too many lives are lost each year because of something as simple as not clicking a seatbelt. In rural Oklahoma especially, we see the heartbreaking consequences of this every day, " Jech said. "I'm proud to support the 'Never Skip the Click' campaign and urge every Oklahoman to make seatbelt safety a habit and buckle up every trip, every time."

For more information on the campaign or available materials, visit DriveSafelyOklahoma.com.

Frix Secures Grant for District Infrastructure Improvements

A major roadway improvement project in Muskogee County is moving forward due to a $800,000 Lake Access Grant secured by Senator Avery Frix (SD 8) of Muskogee. Frix is Vice Chairman of the Senate Aeronautics and Transportation Commission.

The ODOT Lake Access Program seeks to provide direct access to public facilities adjacent to lakes and recreation areas. The Muskogee County project will reconstruct approximately six miles East Smith Ferry Road, stretching from south Country Club Road to the 85th Street entrance of Hopewell Park. The improvements are expected to take two weeks to complete.