US-77 Interchange illustrates Oklahoma Cross Timbers ecoregion, which is comprised mostly of prairies, savanna, and light woodland. Aesthetic treatments and concrete texture for this bridge include stylized mixed grasses affecting the wing walls, wrapping around the piers, spanning the parapet, and also stamped on the embankments that lead down to the roadway. As commuters drive under the overpass, this bridge visually acts as an extension of the prairie with its grasses appearing to grow on the structure of the bridge itself. It surrounds the commuters as they pass through the rolling grasslands, conveying the importance of the prairie as a defining characteristic of and gateway into the City of Norman.
Commuters driving toward this bridge will also be able to spot the official state bird, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, flying low above the grass blades represented on the piers and wing walls. Shadows created by sunlight playing off of the two-inch relief of the aesthetic treatments make these birds appear to be hovering over the grass blades.
The US 77 Bridge is part of an eight bridge Aesthetic Master Design Plan CDR developed for the I-35 Corridor in Norman, Oklahoma. The design for each bridge finds its inspiration in either the history, architectural, flora or fauna, or the industry of this region.
Project Awards:
- 2010 Pharaoh Award by the Association of Oklahoma General Contractors (AOGC)
