"I drive across it every single week and I am terrified often when I pass a semi on it," State Rep. Cody Maynard said of the Roosevelt Bridge at ODOT's open house this spring, as reported by KXII. If you live around Kingston and cross US-70 to Durant for work, groceries or appointments, you know that drive well.
There are now two big construction sites on that stretch of US-70, and both are scheduled to finish in 2029. The new bridge is scheduled to open to four lanes in fall 2029. Pointe Vista's Hard Rock hotel, shops and residences are targeted for summer 2029, and the developer has said in public that the timing is deliberate. Until then, the old bridge, the old causeway and the businesses you already use around Lake Texoma State Park stay largely as they are.
The 1945 Bridge Carries You Until Fall 2028
The current Roosevelt Bridge opened in 1945. The Durant Democrat reports that the US-70 corridor carries more than 11,000 vehicles a day. The replacement is going in just south of it, and the old bridge stays open while the new one is built.
"Traffic will drive on the old bridge and the old causeway for most of the duration of the project," ODOT District Engineer Anthony Echelle told KXII.
So the commute changes at two points. The project's published schedule shows the new bridge opening to two lanes in fall 2028. In fall 2029 all construction is done and US-70 opens to four lanes. ODOT plans to take the old bridge down once traffic has moved, and says the details of that removal are still being worked out.
For the stretch in between, ODOT's project FAQ says to expect occasional lane shifts, work zones and lower speeds near the site. It doesn't give dates for any of them. If you have an early shift in Durant, check rooseveltbridge.com before you leave, not after you're already sitting in a work zone.
This Fall, the Work Is in the Water
The work you can see right now is out on the lake. The groundbreaking was Thursday, September 10, at Lake Texoma State Park, with about 130 people there. The Durant Democrat reported that site preparation, tree clearing and drilling from barges into the lake bottom were already underway.
The engineering explains the barges. The lake is about 65 feet deep near the bridge. Parsons, the lead designer, describes a two-mile, 63-span structure whose substructure reaches about 150 feet below the lake surface. Most of the next year's work is going into the lake bottom before much rises above the water.
If you fish or run a boat near the bridge, the project's boating plan for September through November 2026 covers this season:
- Expect barges, trestle construction and prep work for drilled shafts.
- There's no formal channel closure and no boating restriction planned for this period.
- Stay out of the buoy-marked, 500-by-500-foot U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water-access easement.
- Use caution around equipment, and expect the design-builder to coordinate with local marinas.
That plan only runs through November. ODOT's FAQ says temporary safety zones may go up around water work in later phases, so this fall's open water doesn't promise next spring's. On land, ODOT expects most tree removal between the east side of the lake and Johnson Creek Road/Willow Springs Road, plus more clearing for a temporary staging area for equipment and materials.
Two Projects Aimed at the Same Year
Pointe Vista is the other site on this stretch of US-70, and its schedule only makes sense next to the bridge's.
| When | Roosevelt Bridge | Pointe Vista |
|---|---|---|
| November 18, 2025 | Marshall County voters pass the TIF, 58% to 42% | |
| April 2026 | ODOT approves a $408 million contract with Zachry Construction and Traylor Bros. | |
| September 10, 2026 | Groundbreaking at Lake Texoma State Park | |
| Fall 2026 | Barge drilling and site prep | Water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure underway |
| Summer 2027 | Discovery Center target | |
| Fall 2028 | New bridge opens to two lanes | |
| Summer 2029 | Hotel, shops, bay and residences target | |
| Fall 2029 | All construction complete, four lanes open |
Pointe Vista president Grant Speakes made the link himself. "The fact that it's going to be open on time with the hotel really helps out, so it will make it even easier for people to come enjoy the hotel," he told KTEN.
The hotel's date has moved before. In 2024, KXII reported an expected opening by 2027. The county commissioners voted down the TIF in June 2025, and that pushed the date back. After the November 2025 vote, developers told KXII the hotel and apartments should be done by summer 2028. KTEN's latest report says summer 2029. Each new date is later than the one before, and the newest one now lines up with the bridge.
The current work is water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. "When you build a house, you can't start with the attic… you have to start with the ground floor," Speakes told KTEN. KTEN reported that the Discovery Center will be ready well ahead of the hotel. In late August, Speakes told KXII that crews would break ground on it within 60 days. It's planned with interactive displays, residence models, a theater lounge and floor plans, and is expected to be finished by summer 2027. Speakes put the cost of this piece of the development at $14.7 million and said it's funded.
What Phase One Adds, and Where It Sits
The Hard Rock site and the old lodge site are two different parcels. The old Lake Texoma Lodge was torn down, and the Journal Record reported in 2016 that its 50-acre site was set aside for a Chickasaw Nation resort and casino. That's West Bay Casino & Resort, which is already open at 11840 State Park Road. Pointe Vista's own masterplan shows West Bay and the Hard Rock Hotel as separate pieces.
Under the county's TIF project plan, the first hotel phase includes:
- About 189 hotel rooms
- A 5.7-acre water feature
- 131 residential units
- 100,000 square feet of retail
- Water and wastewater systems
The plan also requires at least $600 million in project spending before later TIF districts can activate. The TIF district is set up to collect tax increments for 25 years to pay for infrastructure.
What's Open on This Side of the Lake Right Now
None of the places below are waiting on 2029. Two of them are already run by the company building the hotel: Pointe Vista's site says its onsite operations manager oversees both Catfish Bay Marina and Chickasaw Pointe Golf Club.
- Catfish Bay Marina, inside Lake Texoma State Park, is a full-service marina with more than 300 covered wet slips, fuel, rentals, a convenience store and fishing guides, according to TravelOK.
- Chickasaw Pointe Golf Club is an 18-hole, par-72 course with an on-site restaurant. Its state tourism listing shows daily hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- West Bay Casino & Resort is open 24 hours a day, and its restaurant is Kitchen 70.
- Lake Texoma State Park has camping, boat ramps, swimming, picnic areas, showers, hiking and equestrian use. Campgrounds are open year-round, and RV and tent sites are booked online.
- The Texoma Interpretive Trail runs about 1.5 miles near the park's boat ramp, and part of it is accessible to people with disabilities.
Over the next three years, these places sit between a bridge site and a resort site. Their daily routine doesn't change much, but more equipment, barges and cleared land will show up around them.
The Walk Across the Lake Comes Last
Today there's no safe way to walk or bike across the Roosevelt Bridge. The new bridge changes that. ODOT's open-house cross section shows four 12-foot travel lanes, 10-foot outside shoulders, 4-foot inside shoulders and a 10-foot multimodal path on the south side behind a 54-inch pedestrian rail. The project materials also mention full shoulders and lighting. None of them describe an overlook or public parking.
Funding includes a $124 million Federal Highway Administration Bridge Investment Program grant, which the Durant Democrat called the largest transportation grant in Oklahoma history. In 2024, ODOT had estimated the whole replacement at about $250 million. ODOT has community open houses on the calendar for late winter or early spring of 2027, 2028 and 2029. The first one, in early 2027, is the next public chance to ask about lane shifts and safety zones on the water.
If you own lake property near the bridge or the park, or you're weighing a sale or purchase while construction is going on, I'll go over the timeline as it applies to your property and road access. I spent 20+ years in construction, so I can walk the place with you and tell you what's likely to matter. Reach out to Lauren McCambridge whenever you want to talk through your property or what it's worth.
