As the partial federal shutdown moved into its fourth week, Oklahoma and New Mexico’s departments of transportation have delayed lettings for some of the highway projects for which they had planned to let bids this winter. They cite uncertainty over federal funding as a reason for the decision. But there doesn't appear to be a wave of such bid delays across the country.
Oklahoma DOT, noting questions about federal funds, says it is delaying about 45 highway and bridge projects totaling an estimated $137 million that it had planned to include in its January and February bid lettings. It still plans to proceed with bids on $150 million in projects over the two months.