History

As the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s 100 year anniversary celebration unfolds in 2011, we take time to reflect on the past, evaluate where we are now and strive for a brighter future.

If the past is a compass as we prepare for the future, ODOT’s next century is almost unimaginable. When the Department of Highways was established, roads could not be taken for granted, especially in rainy seasons, and the speed limit often was dictated by a horse’s gallop. Today, ODOT maintains more than 30,000 lane miles of paved highways traversable all year round on which 65 mph to 70 mph is the norm.

A tiny agency that began with four employees, funded through an uncollectable assessment, now impacts every Oklahoman in one way or another. ODOT employees work in every county of the state to help maintain, build and design the state’s highways, as well as oversee aspects of rail transportation, river navigation and public transit.

Historical Facts and Information

• Chronology of Construction History - Dirt Road to Paved Main Street of America
• Historic Route 66
• Oklahoma State Maps Archive
• Other Oklahoma Maps Archive