Governor declares emergency

LEXINGTON, Okla. (AP) – Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin has declared a state of emergency over the closure of a bridge that connects Lexington and Purcell.

Fallin declared the emergency Friday while touring the James C. Nance Bridge over the Canadian River. The bridge was closed last week after the discovery of several cracks in the bridge’s truss beams. Officials declared the bridge unsafe and shut it down.

Fallin says the bridge’s closure has been a severe inconvenience for residents who commute from one town to the other.

Fallin’s emergency declaration allows for a faster bidding and construction process on the bridge. Fallin says that repairs that could take up to a year could be done in months instead.

The declaration also calls for reimbursements to Lexington, Purcell and Cleveland and McClain counties.