By Paige Orr, Fox23 News
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed legislation on Wednesday aimed at strengthening the state’s long-term transportation funding, while also establishing new transparency requirements for major infrastructure projects.
House Bill 4280, authored by Representative Nicole Miller (R-Edmund), increases the annual cap for the Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety (ROADS) Fund to $620 million beginning in fiscal year 2027.
The ROADS Fund serves as the primary state funding mechanism for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) Eight-Year Construction Work Plan, which schedules highway and bridge projects across the state.
The measure comes as state leaders grapple with the impact of inflation on construction costs, which Rep. Miller noted have increased recently by nearly 70%.
While the state highway system is valued at approximately $126 billion, official estimates indicate a $33 billion backlog in identified deficiencies.
“The second that you leave your house in the morning, what are you doing? You’re driving on our roads and bridges system,” said Miller. “It’s the one public service that you use every single day, so it’s critical for the mobility of Oklahomans to know exactly if they have reliability and consistency.”
In addition to the funding increase, HB 4280 mandates that ODOT provide written notice within one week if a project in the eight-year plan is significantly delayed or removed.
This notice must be sent to the governor, legislative leadership and the local lawmakers representing the affected district.
The report must detail the reason for the adjustment, the funding required to maintain the original timeline and the impact on the state’s Asset Preservation Plan.
“We do need more sustainability and predictability for our state’s largest infrastructure system, which is obviously our roads and bridges,” said Miller during floor discussion.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation told FOX23 in a statement they are grateful for the support, noting that inflation is still outpacing budgets.
ODOT’s full statement is below:
“With recent inflation in heavy highway construction costs increasing 60% over the past five years, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation has struggled to balance the state’s infrastructure needs with current funding levels. The agency is incredibly grateful for the support of current and past state leadership, including the governor and legislature, for their investments into the transportation system. As inflation still outpaces budgets, the department faces an approximately $33 billion backlog of highway needs across the state. The ROADS Fund is a pivotal piece of funding for the department’s Eight-Year Construction Work Plan that guides the department’s efforts in improving Oklahoma’s largest public asset. Rebalanced annually, the most recent 2026-2033 Eight Year Plan includes over 1,200 projects valued at more than $7.7 billion worth of improvements statewide.
We appreciate the continued efforts of our State House and Senate appropriations chairs, Rep, Miller and Sen. Woods, for being attentive to the needs of Oklahoma’s tax-supported highway system and brining this legislation forward.”
HB 4280 passed the House with a vote of 87-3.
The act now moves to the Oklahoma State Senate for further consideration where, if passed, it would take effect on Nov. 1.
You can read the full text of HB 4280 below:
