FR Turbo
02-09-2006, 04:34 PM
From NewsOK.com:
Thu February 9, 2006
Travel centers to be built at Erick, Blackwell
By The Associated Press
A pair of $5 million travel information centers will be built, one on Interstate 40 near Erick and the other on Interstate 35 near Blackwell, as the state tries to put its best foot forward to travelers, officials announced Thursday.
They will be built on the site of existing travel centers and will be patterned after the tourism information center on I-35 near Thackerville in extreme south central Oklahoma. Erick is in western Oklahoma and Blackwell is in the northern part of the state.
They will include dog parks, jogging trails and handicapped accessible playgrounds.
"Information centers are the first impression many travelers have of our state," Gov. Brad Henry said in a statement. "It's critical that Oklahoma put its best foot forward for those visitors and state citizens who spend their tourism dollars here. These centers will be a great asset to Oklahoma, particularly the communities of Erick and Blackwell."
Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin and Interim Tourism Director George Nigh made the announcement, saying the centers would be built with the help of $3.6 million in federal funds from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
Fallin said when she became chairman of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Commission she made a commitment to build welcome centers of which the state could be proud.
"So far we have built 10 tourism information centers over the last 12 years. These will be the final two."
Nigh said the centers would be built in time for the state's 2007 centennial celebration.
"ODOT's commitment to this partnership is what made this project possible," he said. "They secured the funding and shared in the vision we have for welcoming visitors to Oklahoma."
Gary Ridley, ODOT director, said the funding will not come from money set aside for highway projects.
Plans call for ODOT to designate a consultant with 60 days to begin preliminary work on the Erick Center. Ground is to be broken later this year on the Blackwell project.
Thu February 9, 2006
Travel centers to be built at Erick, Blackwell
By The Associated Press
A pair of $5 million travel information centers will be built, one on Interstate 40 near Erick and the other on Interstate 35 near Blackwell, as the state tries to put its best foot forward to travelers, officials announced Thursday.
They will be built on the site of existing travel centers and will be patterned after the tourism information center on I-35 near Thackerville in extreme south central Oklahoma. Erick is in western Oklahoma and Blackwell is in the northern part of the state.
They will include dog parks, jogging trails and handicapped accessible playgrounds.
"Information centers are the first impression many travelers have of our state," Gov. Brad Henry said in a statement. "It's critical that Oklahoma put its best foot forward for those visitors and state citizens who spend their tourism dollars here. These centers will be a great asset to Oklahoma, particularly the communities of Erick and Blackwell."
Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin and Interim Tourism Director George Nigh made the announcement, saying the centers would be built with the help of $3.6 million in federal funds from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
Fallin said when she became chairman of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Commission she made a commitment to build welcome centers of which the state could be proud.
"So far we have built 10 tourism information centers over the last 12 years. These will be the final two."
Nigh said the centers would be built in time for the state's 2007 centennial celebration.
"ODOT's commitment to this partnership is what made this project possible," he said. "They secured the funding and shared in the vision we have for welcoming visitors to Oklahoma."
Gary Ridley, ODOT director, said the funding will not come from money set aside for highway projects.
Plans call for ODOT to designate a consultant with 60 days to begin preliminary work on the Erick Center. Ground is to be broken later this year on the Blackwell project.