ODOT monitoring logjam near US-60 bridge near Wyandotte

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Steve Bashore, R-Miami, shared information about drift accumulation on the US-60 bridge over the Neosho River in Ottawa Co.

Bashore was notified by an Oklahoma Department of Transportation district engineer that the department became aware of the accumulation the morning of April 30 after heavy rains that fell over the weekend in Oklahoma and Kansas. The department is monitoring the water elevations and the amount of drift build up but does not have any immediate concern with the structural integrity of the bridge.

However, if they feel at any point there is a safety concern with the bridge, they said they will take immediate actions to close the bridge. The drift appears to be mostly floating on top of the water, which is allowing water to continue to flow downstream. Although not ideal, the fact that it is floating does reduce the upstream flooding potential.

The department is working to develop a plan to mitigate the drift accumulation, but understandably there are many challenges to overcome. Any removal process will need to be done from the water, and the water will need to recede before that can be evaluated further. The current river forecast shows the water should begin receding the evening of May 2, but additional rain could change that forecast.

“I have reiterated to the Grand River Dam Authority and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation that these concerns are the upmost importance and must be considered as such,” Bashore said. “Years of flooding and the continuation of flooding impact more than waterways. It also threatens homes, roadways and other infrastructure throughout our district, as well as businesses and our very way of life. These state agencies must work together to find a solution.”