(Photo by Darren DeLaune/MCNPR.) (R to L: Muscogee (Creek) Nation Second Chief Louis Hicks, MCN Secretary of Interior Affairs Jesse Allen, Principal Chief James Floyd, Okmulgee Vice Mayor Richard Larabee, ODOT Engineer Chris Wallace and Okmulgee County Commissioner Bobby Hardridge) The Muscogee (Creek) Nation held a ribbon cutting today to celebrate the completion of the $173,000 Mission Road improvement project.
For Immediate Release
Nov. 14, 2019
Muscogee (Creek) Nation completes $734K improvement on public intersection
MCN, ODOT, Okmulgee County collaborate to address area of concern
OKMULGEE, Oklahoma — When the Muscogee (Creek) Nation completed the Transportation Safety Plan in 2014, the Mission road intersection was identified as a significant area of concern.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) agreed, and the MCN and ODOT worked together to collect crash data for the intersection. Through this information, the Nation rated Mission as the number one priority on the MCN Safety Plan.
“We appreciate the efforts of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation to help identify and seek solutions for traffic concerns,” said ODOT Engineer Chris Wallace. “The improvements at Mission Road will benefit drivers for years to come, and we thank the Nation for their partnership to promote additional safety here.”
The Nation applied for construction funds through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) safety program and was awarded $430,000 to complete this intersection realignment project. The remaining funds to complete the project came through the Tribal Transportation Program (TTP).
The TTP is another BIA program that provides federal funding for roads, bridges and other transportation projects within tribal areas. TTP pays for new construction and maintenance of existing infrastructure and is an important source of funding that complements existing ODOT budgets.
“The Muscogee (Creek) Nation is pleased to participate in a partnership that allows the state to access greater funding,” MCN Principal Chief James Floyd said. “By utilizing these dollars, we can assist the state in completing much needed projects – sometimes even ahead of schedule.”
ODOT worked with the MCN to review the plans and assist with acquiring the necessary permits. Okmulgee County Commissioners also assisted the Nation in acquiring the right-of-way to complete the project.
“This is an example of different government entities working hand-in-hand together to provide a benefit to the citizens here. Safety is paramount in any project when we are talking about transportation,” said Okmulgee County Commissioner Bobby Hardridge.
Through the partnership efforts of MCN, ODOT, and Okmulgee County safety issues have been rectified.
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