"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Cherokees Partner to Re-Open Bridge

***"CN Secretary of State Melanie Knight speaks during the dedication of the opening of the Broadway Bridge in Collinsville."***

COLLINSVILLE, OK - Restoring a bridge that has been closed for over 20 years will help to alleviate congestion along State Highway 20, thanks to a partnership between the Cherokee Nation, the City of Collinsville, Tulsa County and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT).

“We are pleased to help fund this project,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “The bridge was in need of repair and in the spirit of ga-du-gi, the Cherokee Nation is pleased to help an Oklahoma community in need.”

According to Michael Lynn, Director of the Cherokee Nation Roads Program, the need to repair the bridge was brought to the attention of Cherokee Nation officials. Due to the large population of Cherokees that reside in the area, tribal facilities located within the city limits, school bus routes and the cooperation of state departments the Broadway Bridge Project was deemed plausible. Partnering with the local and state government organizations, the Cherokee Nation provided over $265,000 to make this project a reality.

“This project would not have been possible without the generous gift of the Cherokee Nation,” said Pam Polk, City Manager. “The impact of this project cannot be fully measured in dollars and cents. Collinsville is a growing city and the reopening of this bridge provides a route once used by Collinsville citizens in days gone by, only much safer and better.”

Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor Buel Anglen considers the Broadway Bridge a pet project and appreciates the partnerships that led to its completion.

“Members of the Victory Cherokee Organization brought this need to my attention,” said Anglen. “I became passionate about seeing it come to pass and after several meetings with the City of Collinsville, Tulsa County, ODOT and our tribal roads program we were able to move forward and provide a service to this community.”

Collinsville Mayor Stan Sallee attributes the success of the project to the partnership that existed between governments.

“It’s amazing what can be done when people come together,” said Sallee. “It was the partnership that laid the foundation to getting this project started and completed. None of this would have been possible without the help of the Cherokee Nation.”

“The Cherokee Nation appreciates the cooperative spirit here in Collinsville,” said Melanie Knight, Cherokee Nation Secretary of State. “Collectively, when we put our resources together we can accomplish so much. This bridge dedication is a testament to how far we can go when we partner together.”

Tulsa County District 1 Commissioner John Smaligo commended all the various levels of government that came together to complete the mission of restoring the Broadway Bridge.

“We provided the labor to build the bridge and the Cherokee Nation provided a large portion of the money necessary to start and complete the project,” said Smaligo. “I appreciate the generosity of the Cherokee Nation.”

“Being newly elected, I came in to this project in the latter stages,” said Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor Dr. Bradley Cobb. “However, I look forward to being involved in future partnerships. The success of the Broadway Bridge Project is a great example of how things should work between governments.”

According to city officials, the completion of this project catapulted the City of Collinsville’s plan to widen Main Street, which has already started. The project includes widening from Highway 169 to 5th Street into a four lane, a new bridge and sidewalks. This particular project was on ODOT’s list to be done in 2012, but ODOT officials said that if the Broadway Bridge was rebuilt and could serve as a detour for Main Street traffic, the Main Street project would moved up from 2012 to 2007.

“We are very excited about this,” said Polk. “Thanks to the partnership established between entities, the reopening of the Broadway Bridge moved Collinsville up several years on ODOT’s transportation plans.”