The Oklahoma State Capital

At the encouragement of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, the Guthrie City Council considered whether the lower level of the Noble Street viaduct should be closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

This encouragement was offered due to several concerns, the foremost of which was that at some time in the month of January, a piece of the bridge fell to the lower level street which runs beneath the viaduct. It is the concern of ODOT that while the bridge is not in any structural danger, the falling debris could harm a vehicle or pedestrian should either be under the structure at the time.

Because Noble Street is State Highway 33, the responsibility for the maintenance and upkeep on the bridge rests with ODOT. Oklahoma Department of Transportation spokesperson Shannon Sheffert stated that ODOT does have a routine schedule for inspecting the bridge and that state workers had tried to knock off all loose debris. However, this did not negate the fact that ODOT wished to have the area closed for safety reasons.

An additional safety issue expressed about the road beneath the viaduct was that no railroad barrier gate is in place over the railroad tracks that cross on the lower level. In the past, representatives of Arkansas Short Line Railroads have requested that the closing of the street be part of the agreement between them and the City of Guthrie in order to limit potential for a train/vehicle collision. This request was denied because of the concern of property owners who felt that the closure would limit their access to the area.

Other access issues were brought up by Ward II Councilor Foster, who indicated that all property owners should be informed of the issue and asked about their opinions prior to any action being taken. This opinion was also accepted by Ward III Councilor Aguirre, who moved that the matter be tabled and taken up again on April the 4th, giving the property owners time to express their desires on the subject.