The City of Norman was approved to receive $2,117,966.67 in Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) federal grant funds at the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) Commission meeting on April 3. The funding is allocated for a Multimodal Path Project – a pathway that allows for multiple forms of transportation for travelers – from 48th Avenue East to 72nd Avenue SE.

“For well over a decade, the Norman City Council and the Norman community have prioritized the completion of a multi-modal transportation connection along State Highway 9 East from urban Norman to Lake Thunderbird,” said Public Works Director Shawn O’Leary. “The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has been a critical partner in that effort through federal grant funding and the use of highway right-of-way. This has been a multi-million dollar effort, so it has taken many years to complete.”

The project – in full – consists of several phases, the first of which began in 2019. Construction to the latest phase is tentatively scheduled to begin in Winter 2024/25 with expected completion as early as Summer 2025.

“For the first time in Norman’s history, a pedestrian or bicyclist will be able to safely travel along State Highway 9 East outside of vehicular traffic from urban Norman,” O’Leary said. “This is good for transportation, recreation, tourism, public safety and the Norman economy.”

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