Skydance Bridge Repairs Could Last Until Summer

The wood decking along Oklahoma City's Skydance Bridge was a major mistake, according to Oklahoma City officials who requisitioned it.

News 9's Karl Torp reports that there have been calls to change it from Day 1, and now it's closed for repairs.

"I've seen people trip since Day 1," said Chuck Mikkleson, a member of the local Landrunners club, made up of runners who use the bridge to connect to trails in the area. Mikkleson said he has emailed the city several times about the bridge's hazardous humps.

It's an issue that News 9 reported on six years ago.

"I'm always looking, worried about being hit," said Justin Pitts, back in 2014. "I don't know why they did a wood deck to begin with."

The answer isn't much clearer at City Hall.

"If we know what we know today, we would have probably gone with a composited deck," said Public Works Director Eric Wenger.

He noted that the new composite material will take longer to manufacture. Meanwhile, city officials must coordinate with both the state Department of Transportation and area railroads to replace this stretch of the bridge.

This means Mikkleson and others will have to wait until summer for the bridge to re-open.

Word from the contractor is that they'll prepare to start work next week.

One note: in 2014, certain spots along the decking were repaired. For this work, crews will work at night because some lanes along Interstate 40 will need to be closed below the decking.