In Oklahoma, 38 percent of serious and fatal crashes occur on rural roads with no shoulders. The Rural Two-Lane Advancement and Management Plan (RAAMP) Phase 2 Project will enhance 29 miles of rural roads by adding eight-foot shoulders, rehabilitating and resurfacing roads, and extending and widening bridges. The projects are in Atoka, Cherokee, Grady, Lincoln, Major, Pottawatomie, and Washita counties in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma is taking advantage of the Bureau’s Rural Project Initiative, which offers rural borrowers loans of up to 49 percent of eligible project costs (vs. the customary 33 percent), as well as locking in a low interest rate at half the Treasury rate. This is the second loan for RAAMP secured by ODOT, with the first $41.55 million financed in June for 27 miles of roadway improvements. 

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The use of the TIFIA loan in Oklahoma results in significant cost savings and safety benefits through accelerated project delivery. An independent analysis conducted by the Build America Center at the University of Maryland reveals that the shoulder improvement program, which traditionally would take 12 years to complete, will be shortened to just three years. This expedited delivery made possible by the TIFIA loan will yield substantial advantages, including a $44 million reduction in crash costs over a 10-year period and a remarkable reduction of $29 million in project costs. The findings underscore the tangible and transformative impact of TIFIA financing, not only in expediting project timelines but also in delivering substantial cost savings and ensuring enhanced safety outcomes for the state of Oklahoma.