A. A professional engineer registered by the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors pursuant to Section 475.1 et seq. of Title 59 of the Oklahoma Statutes, shall approve projects that may be awarded to contractors by the boards of county commissioners, Transportation Commission or by other federal or state agencies under their normal competitive bidding procedures, excluding prequalification of bidders. A “county-built” project may be a road or bridge in whole or in part built with its own county forces or entirely let to contract, but all costs associated are payable.
B. County-built bridges using the County Bridge and Road Improvement Fund shall meet or exceed the following criteria:
1. The bridge has been built according to the current edition of the County Bridge Standards manual or from field notes drawn by a registered professional engineer that provide the basic structural requirements to achieve a load rating of H. twenty-three (23) tons or greater. Field notes may be handwritten specifications or sketches which have been stamped or signed;
2. The finished bridge shall achieve a twenty-three-ton or greater rating. The rating criteria shall be determined by the National Bridge Inventory and approved by the Department of Transportation for bridges twenty (20) feet or more in length;
3. The subsurface foundation of the bridge shall meet the minimum guidelines established by using approved engineering methods, details of which shall be kept as shop notes;
4. The finished bridge shall have a minimum roadway width of twenty-four (24) feet; and
5. Materials used in the construction of the bridge shall meet or exceed the specifications for materials as specified in the current edition of the County Bridge Standards or certified in writing by the engineer or supplier.
C. Prior to construction of the bridge, a county may request that construction supervision be provided by the Circuit Engineering District of which the county is a member to ensure quality control and quality assurance.
Added by Laws 1980, c. 307, § 6, emerg. eff. June 17, 1980. Amended by Laws 1995, c. 25, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 1995; Laws 1997, c. 284, § 23, eff. July 1, 1997; Laws 1998, c. 29, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1998; Laws 1999, c. 240, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1999; Laws 2000, c. 110, § 1, eff. July 1, 2000; Laws 2001, c. 73, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2001; Laws 2006, c. 157, § 3, emerg. eff. May 15, 2006; Laws 2009, c. 231, § 3, eff. July 1, 2009; Laws 2010, c. 256, § 9, eff. July 1, 2010; Laws 2011, c. 63, § 1, eff. July 1, 2011.