Great job as always with communicating timely information to our citizens. One additional issue which should be shared from time to time is the status of the responsibility and future repair plans for Adams Boulevard west of US Highway 75. Some people still don’t realize that it is an ODOT (Oklahoma Department of Transportation) responsibility. I believe I heard recently that the scheduled (and much needed) rehab of that road is coming up next year? An update on that OK 60 work through town would be a nice topic for an upcoming issue of City Beat. The work on Hensley (OK 123) has been appreciated by those of us who travel that way too.
It’s arguably the most-often asked question we get at City Hall: Why doesn’t the City fix Adams/Washington/Hensley? The answer is, as stated above, these are State-owned highways that maintained by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, not the City of Bartlesville.
This applies to the following:
- U.S. Highway 60
- Adams Boulevard from the overpass to the western city limits
- U.S. Highway 75
- Washington Boulevard
- State Highway 123
- Hensley Boulevard
Regarding the U.S. Highway 60 project, which applies to Adams Boulevard west of U.S. Highway 75, that project is set in ODOT “8-year Plan” for completion in 2025. Here’s a link where we wrote about it in March: State Highway 60 project set for 2025. (And here: Highways in Bartlesville responsibility of ODOT, here: Highway 60 on tap for ODOT, and here: How street projects are selected.) According to City Director of Engineering Micah Siemers, the City has not received any further information from ODOT about this project. Based on the schedule known, Engineering anticipates receiving plans for review sometime this calendar year or the first quarter of 2024.
If there appears to be a lack of reporting by the City on ODOT projects in recent months, it’s not imagined. It became a bit problematic to report on these projects because City staff has no way of knowing when schedules or construction plans change, which has in the past resulted in information being published that turned out to be inaccurate. Due to this, we typically try to stick to sharing information ODOT makes available to the public, as we, despite our best intentions, have too many times published faulty information about these projects.
Recyling: Paper, storage issues
Can you answer in the City Beat when Replenysh will clear out the recycling lot on the west side of town and why it has accumulated to the level it has? I would imagine there is enough material there now to fill three to five semi trucks! Also, every time I recycle, I hear someone asking why we don’t recycle paper. Can you ask Replenysh to address this request? I contacted them directly and was told they wanted to but needed to collect paper in smaller bags because of the density of paper ripping the larger bags.
According to Ryon Hart of Replenysh, the company doesn’t accept paper because “one of the super sacks of paper would be around 600 pounds and poses a logistic problem.” He said the company is “working on a solution” and hopes to be able to add paper to its list of accepted items next year.
Hart also said a pick-up of materials stored at the center is scheduled for this week. The Public Works Department is evaluating potential issues with the storage and will work with the company to resolve them.
The City contracts with Replenysh to operate its recycling center, located on 10th Street just east of Virginia Avenue, after a fire in 2021 destroyed the Tulsa plant the City previously used for processing recyclable materials. Other recycling resources available in Bartlesville include the for-profit company, Recyclops, with which the City has no affiliation.