FORT GIBSON, Okla. — County leaders approved a $10 million road repair project to fix damage left by the 2019 flood and prevent similar destruction in the future.
The project focuses on a stretch of 50th Street North between North 49th and North 55th in Fort Gibson, which was underwater for more than a month during the historic flooding.
WATCH: $10M road project underway in Fort Gibson after 2019 flood damage:
$10M road project underway in Fort Gibson after 2019 flood damage
For nearby resident Lee Hardy, the impact of that flood was still clear.
“On the right side of the road here, most of these homes were all flooded,” Hardy said.
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Hardy said the uncertainty of rising water made the situation even more difficult for those living in the area at the time.
Because of the damage to the road, crews began rebuilding the roughly two-and-a-half-mile roadway, part of a larger $40 million flood recovery effort funded by the state in 2022.
County Commissioner Ken Doke said the project is about more than just infrastructure.
“It doesn’t just mean a lot to me, it means a lot to the people that live here,” Doke said.
The improvements include raising the road, adding better drainage, and replacing sections with concrete to help protect them from future flooding.
Hardy said the upgrades will make a noticeable difference for the community.
“It’s all dilapidated, but it’s all going to be redone, it’s all going to be newly paved… that’s a safer community,” Hardy said.
Doke said the project is expected to be completed by November 2026.
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