LAWTON – During a 2025 inspection, 11 bridges in Lawton were identified as needing attention to prevent future failure.
The City of Lawton is “preparing to advance” an 11 bridges project “into the next phase of design of repairs,” wrote Public Utilities Director Rusty Whisenhunt. Construction management design services are needed “to assist with project planning, coordination, constructability review, scheduling, cost estimating, and other services necessary to prepare the project for construction,” he said.
As a result, last Tuesday the City Council approved a task order to the master services agreement negotiated with WSB civil engineering and design consulting firm a little over a year ago.
WSB will provide “overall project management and administration for the duration of the bridge rehabilitation and replacement program,” the agreement stipulates. The amount of the task order is not to exceed $1,398,657.
The 11 bridges include reinforced concrete box culverts, prestressed concrete beam bridges, steel beam bridges, and reinforced concrete slab structures located throughout the city.
The task order encompasses “comprehensive engineering services” for these bridges:
•East Cache Creek bridges eastbound and westbound on Gore Boulevard: rehabilitation.
•Wolf Creek Bridge on 44th Street: replacement.
•Wolf Creek Bridge on 11th Street: replacement.
•Numu Creek Bridge on Park Avenue: rehabilitation.
•Numu Creek Bridge on 17th Street: rehabilitation.
•Numu Creek Bridge on Ninth Street: rehabilitation.
•Numu Creek Bridge on Sheridan Road: rehabilitation.
•Numu Creek Bridge on Sheridan Road: replacement.
•Numu Creek Bridge on Lee Boulevard: rehabilitation.
•West Fork Wolf Creek Bridge on Quanah Parker Trailway: rehabilitation.
The council also approved a task order to the WSB master services agreement for construction management design services for the reconstruction of approximately one mile of Southwest 38th Street between Lee Boulevard and Bishop Road.
The improvements are to include full-depth pavement removal, subgrade stabilization, construction of a new hotmix asphalt pavement section, improvement of the roadway “profile,” replacement of drainage infrastructure, and minor ditch modifications, said Chris Serrano, director of municipal services for WSB.
WSB’s duties will include roadway design, preparation of plans and specifications plus estimates, bidding support, construction engineering and inspection services, and construction materials testing services, Whisenhunt said.
A Portland Cement Concrete pavement structure “will also be developed and incorporated into the final plans, specifications, and estimate as an add-alternate pavement option,” Serrano reported.
The cost of that task order will not exceed $585,744, the agreement provides.
“The intent of the project is to improve roadway structural integrity, drainage performance, ride quality, safety, and long-term serviceability while reducing future maintenance requirements,” Whisenhunt said.
City Council approves supplemental funding on street projects Two months ago the City Council approved a couple of additional payments to WSB for work on other street rehab projects.
Supplemental funding of $156,740 was authorized June 23 for an originally approved invoice of $150,285 for project management costs associated with rehabilitation work done on Lee Boulevard between Southwest 52nd Street and Southwest 38th Street.
The initial budget and level of effort were developed “based on an anticipated project completion date coinciding with the City of Lawton’s fiscal year end of June 30, 2026,” Public Works Director Michael Watrous wrote. However, because of contractor schedules, construction sequencing, and the overall scope of work associated with the project, “construction activities are now anticipated to continue through November 2026,” Serrano estimated. As a result, additional construction, engineering, and inspection services “will be required beyond the level of effort initially anticipated,” he said.
That raised the bill to $307,025.
Also approved June 23 was a supplemental funding request from WSB for $205,540 on top of an originally approved amount of $382,670. The $588,210 was compensation for project management costs associated with the King Road renovation project and Phase 4 of the “107 in ’25” street rehabilitation program “related to work not contemplated in the original task order,” Serrano said.
“The scope of work changed,” City Manager John Ratliff said.
King Road was not included in the original 105 pavement segments nor in the original task order scope, Serrano said. As a result, additional design, bidding, and construction, engineering, and inspection services “are required to advance the King Road project through design development, procurement, construction oversight, and closeout.”
Extra design and “CE&I” effort also is required for Phase 4 of “107 in ’25” because of the number and distribution of individual work locations, Watrous said.
The original scope included 105 pavement segments grouped into 25 coordinated projects and established a 12-month duration that began July 1, 2025, Serrano related.
Phase 4, though, consists of approximately 40 individual locations, “which will require additional field review, design coordination, construction sequencing, inspection coverage, quantity tracking, reporting, and contractor coordination beyond the level of effort initially anticipated,” Serrano said.
The estimated 300-day extension of construction beyond the original task order duration “will require continued WSB support to maintain project oversight and ensure successful delivery of the work,” he said.