Committee to assess I-35 corridor from Texas, Oklahoma City border

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - State leaders are taking a look at a heavily-traveled corridor that has been the scene of several deadly accidents recently.

The Transportation Committee announced a new review committee to discuss improving the I-35 corridor between the Texas border and Oklahoma City.

"[I-35] is a major corridor for our state, and not only for commerce but recreation. Certainly, as we look at the numbers, we see a lot more fatalities and wrecks happening. There's an opportunity for us now to focus on this major corridor for our state through this effort, that I think will yield results for generations if we do it right," Commissioner T.W. Shannon said.

The committee says it will assess the I-35 corridor and discuss what needs to be done to make it safer.

"I would like to applaud Commissioner Shannon and the department for their diligent efforts to study the safety needs of the I-35 corridor," Bobby Stem, Executive Director of the Association of Oklahoma General Contractors, said. "As we witness numerous accidents along this route daily, extending from the Texas border all the way into the Oklahoma City metro area, the delay in implementing measures to create a reliever route could potentially result in loss of lives, injuries and property damage. I believe today's actions are a prudent and sensible step towards addressing these issues."

In April, troopers responded to a crash that claimed the lives of two people and involved five semi-trucks.