ODOT’s July 6, 2026 Transportation Commission packet says the approximately $19 million project is expected to begin in late summer or early fall 2026 and continue for approximately 450 days. Traffic is expected to remain open through lane reductions, temporary crossovers and limited ramp closures. ODOT’s June 4 announcement said US-69 will be narrowed to one lane in each direction during portions of the work.

Four bridges on a key Durant route

The project will replace northbound and southbound US-69 bridges over Main Street, Arkansas Street and the Kiamichi Railroad. ODOT’s project materials also refer to West Arkansas Street; the July commission packet identifies the crossing as Arkansas Street. The work includes associated on- and off-ramps.

According to ODOT, one of the four bridges is classified as structurally deficient, while the other three are considered at risk. Those are ODOT’s stated project classifications, not a new inspection finding announced in July.

What drivers should expect

US-69 is not currently planned for a full closure. Instead, motorists should expect narrower travel lanes, temporary crossovers and short-term or limited ramp closures as construction moves through different phases.

That may mean slower and less predictable trips for Durant commuters and residents using US-69 to reach Main Street and Arkansas Street. Freight traffic will also have to operate through a constrained corridor, while businesses near the crossings and ramps may see changes in access and traffic patterns.

ODOT has not published a precise mobilization date or a detailed phase-by-phase closure schedule in the cited records. Drivers should watch for future ODOT traffic advisories before relying on a specific ramp or travel pattern.

Schedule incentives do not create a firm completion date

The July packet says the project uses A+B contracting, with financial incentives and disincentives of $20,000 per day intended to encourage timely completion. That approach does not establish a guaranteed completion date.

ODOT’s current update estimates approximately 450 days of construction. A separate archived procurement notice listed 500 calendar days, but that record is supplemental and does not replace the more recent ODOT schedule estimate.

For Durant, the immediate issue is a bridge project approved for construction but not yet reported as started. The work is expected to last more than a year, while US-69 is planned to remain in service with reduced capacity rather than close completely.

Sources

• July 6, 2026 ODOT Transportation Commission packet

The city posted the request for statements of qualifications on July 24. Firms must submit qualifications to City Engineer John Schneider by 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.

Engineering procurement, not construction bidding

The request is for engineering design, environmental and related project-development services. It is not a construction bid, does not select a construction contractor and does not establish a final project cost or construction start date.

The consultant selected through the procurement would be expected to help develop the project under the Ohio Department of Transportation’s review process. The scope includes traffic analysis, surveying, environmental documentation, geotechnical work, roadway design, utility coordination and preparation of right-of-way plans.

What the city is asking consultants to study and design

The RFQ describes a possible widening of Chestnut Ridge Road from approximately Defiance Avenue east to just beyond Chestnut Commons Drive. The final limits, lane lengths and transitions would be determined during preliminary design in consultation with the city engineer.

Potential elements include dedicated left- and right-turn lanes, pavement widening, drainage modifications and traffic-signal upgrades. The document also identifies a proposed second northbound left-turn lane on SR-57 and calls for the signals along Chestnut Ridge Road to be interconnected and coordinated using traffic-adaptive software features.

The RFQ says a possible new traffic signal west of SR-57 may be added as part of a site development currently under review by the city. That language describes a possibility, not an approved signal or a final development decision. The document also identifies limited sidewalk work at the west end of the project near the possible signal area.

The design work would examine environmental effects, utilities and property needs. The RFQ anticipates that right-of-way acquisitions or easements could be needed from adjacent properties along the widened portion of Chestnut Ridge Road, but it does not identify specific parcels or finalize property acquisitions.

Separate from March resurfacing plans

The July RFQ is separate from an ODOT-linked resurfacing project discussed by Elyria officials in March.

Elyria Finance Committee minutes described that earlier project as work on SR-57 from Chestnut Ridge Road to Cleveland Street and on Abbe Road North from SR-57 to the Sheffield corporation line. The scope included pavement repairs and resurfacing, curbs and curb ramps, guardrail upgrades, traffic-signal upgrades and pavement markings. The March 16 City Council agenda listed a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into the ODOT contract.

That earlier project focused on pavement and corridor maintenance. The July RFQ begins a separate engineering and design process for broader operational and safety improvements near Chestnut Ridge Road.

What residents and commuters should expect

The next immediate deadline is Aug. 14, when engineering firms must submit their qualifications. If the city selects a consultant, the project would still proceed through preliminary design, environmental review, ODOT submissions and later city decisions.

For now, the notice does not mean construction is imminent. Future effects could include changes to turn lanes, traffic signals, drainage, sidewalks and property or easement requirements. The RFQ assumes traffic would be maintained during any future construction, but that is a design assumption rather than a confirmed construction traffic plan.

More specific costs, schedules, property impacts and construction details would come after design work, ODOT review and additional approvals.

Sources

• City of Elyria RFQ: SR-57 and Chestnut Ridge Road

ODOT says the commission meets Monday, July 6, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at the R.A. Ward Transportation Building, 200 N.E. 21st St. in Oklahoma City, and the meeting will be livestreamed and recorded for later public viewing.

Meeting basics: what commissioners are set to consider

According to ODOT’s notice, commissioners will consider approval of the new edition of the County Improvements for Roads & Bridges 5-Year Construction Work Plan. The notice also says the commission will vote on whether to award several contracts, including examples such as:

• SH-9 work in eastern Norman
• US-69 reconstruction work through Muskogee

OKC centerpiece in the agenda packet: NW Expressway & May Avenue interchange conversion

In its July meeting packet, ODOT also highlighted an Oklahoma City-area project involving Northwest Expressway and May Avenue. The materials describe a partnership effort—including ODOT and local partners—aimed at converting the interchange to a diverging diamond configuration as part of an about two-year construction period.

The agenda packet also flags that motorists should expect substantial construction disruptions that were expected to continue through late 2027.

What’s already underway: May Avenue bridge replacement and ramp changes

The interchange work isn’t waiting for the July meeting—construction is already moving into the next phase.

The City of Oklahoma City says crews began construction on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 to replace the May Avenue bridge over Northwest Expressway. City guidance says that beginning May 26, the northbound May Avenue ramp will close, and the southbound May Avenue ramp will intermittently close as needed for crews.

The Vision OKC project page lays out the staged approach that keeps traffic moving while the old bridge is removed and the new diverging diamond interchange is built—starting with lane/ramp adjustments on NW Expressway and then shifting May Avenue traffic onto at-grade temporary detour lanes during the bridge work.

What to watch next (especially if you commute through the corridor)

Because traffic patterns and closures can change as phases progress, the most practical habit for commuters and nearby businesses is to follow the Vision OKC May Avenue Bridge Replacement page for updates tied to each construction phase.

The July 6 ODOT Transportation Commission agenda is a useful “big picture” checkpoint for drivers—but the day-to-day impacts will still depend on how the interchange buildout advances through the rest of 2026 and into late 2027.

Sources

• ODOT Newsroom: July Transportation Commission meeting scheduled for Monday, July 6
• Vision OKC: May Avenue Bridge Replacement (project explainer and traffic/phasing FAQ)
• City of OKC news: Work begins on May Avenue bridge over NW Expressway