Road Construction Jobs

Road contractors are hiring as the federal economic stimulus package drives dollars into concrete and asphalt and deploys 1,500 Oklahomans on construction projects.

Oklahoma expects to receive $426 million in stimulus funds for highways, which will more than double the previously expected spending of $400 million for the current year. Most of the work is pavement rehabilitation, because those projects require the least lead time. Major bridge projects and safety projects such as cable barriers are also planned.

That work should translate into about 1,500 Oklahoma road construction jobs, including new jobs and jobs that are saved, based on Oklahoma’s share of the 95,000 jobs projected by the White House. An additional 840 non-construction jobs would be created or saved as those construction workers recirculate their paychecks.

Highway construction is known for its on-the-job training, some of which may also be financed through the stimulus package.

Early stimulus road projects should be getting underway in April with additional projects starting over the summer and continuing as long as necessary for completion.

Contractor Jobs

The Association of Oklahoma General Contractors, whose members are described as performing more than 95 percent of the highway and heavy construction work in the state, has a Construction Job Openings page on its website. Click on those words on that page for the latest job listing. You can also print out a brief employment application to fax back for distribution to AGC members. Contractors are looking for truck drivers, concrete finishers, heavy equipment operators, laborers, and other workers.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation website is also a rich resource for highway construction job seekers. It doesn’t list job openings, but it tells what contractors are eligible to bid, what contractors have won bids, and what projects are scheduled. Here are some useful ODOT pages:

Careers and Training

For more information, see this GrowOklahoma.com page on Construction careers and this page on training for construction careers.