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ODOT 100: Celebrating the First 100 Years of Transportation in Oklahoma
ODOT 100 Celebrating the First 100 Years of Transportation in Oklahoma Author:Bob Burke This book is a compelling look at the Oklahoma Department of Transportation's past through fascinating and historical photos, as well as a definitive text in which you can explore not only the highways, but also the waterways, railways and airways through 100 years of transportation in Oklahoma! On March 16, 1911, the Oklahoma Legislature pas... more »sed House Bill 318, providing for an Oklahoma Highway Department. The bill became effective on June 15, 1911. Fourteen years later the state highway system was placed under direct control of the Highway Commission rather than county commissioners. Since then that agency, now the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, has met the state's transportation needs from planning and construction to maintenance and repair. The evolution of Oklahoma's roads and highways began with the connection of various existing and often primitive roads to create a usable system. From there the formation of bridges and paved roads would make farm-to-market trips easier and more reliable. Later, major passages, including the most famous, Route 66, crossed the state. After World War II, President Dwight D. Eisenhower saw the need for a comprehensive interstate system, and Oklahoma would see three designations I-35, I-40 and I-44. Today's limited-access highways move traffic along at speeds up to 70 miles per hour and include numerous safety features. These highways connect with turnpikes to provide additional statewide access, while waterways, including Tulsa's Port of Catoosa on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, link Oklahoma with countries afar. Other transportation systems include passenger rail service, which has returned to Oklahoma via an Amtrak route from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, Texas. ODOT also has worked with airports across the state through the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, which was part of ODOT for many years. ODOT is an umbrella that covers the state's transportation needs, providing safe and effective transportation in its many forms. Join the department in celebrating another 100 years in transportation!« less