Copyright © 2002 NLThomas
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TAHLEQUAH, OK - The Cherokee Nation has spent more than $31,000,000 on roads in the Cherokee Nation's fourteen county jurisdictional area over the past ten years and has plans to spend another $60,000,000 on roads in the next five years.

"The best part about the Cherokee Nation Roads Program is that it provides a safe roadway for the Indian people in the communities," said Harley Buzzard, director of the Cherokee Nation Roads Program. "It (the new road) also increases the health level because it eliminates dust from dirt roads that can aggravate allergies and asthma."

Once a road has been identified as a road that needs repair, it is scored by a rating system that considers the number of Indian families that the road would help, daily use of the road, and if it is a primary bus route of a predominately Indian school. Once the road is accessed and approved for repair by the Cherokee Nation, the process begins to refurbish or repair the existing road or demolish the existing road and put in a new one. In many cases, the Cherokee Nation works along with the local county commissioner's office to get the work done.

"When we finish a road project, it is great to see how happy those people are knowing that the Cherokee Nation hasn't forgotten them," Buzzard said.

The Cherokee Nation, to date, has repaired or rebuilt 10 roads in Adair County totaling more than $11,000.000 and has plans to complete 10 more roads in the next five years totaling more than $17,000,000. Cherokee County has received help from the Cherokee Nation on 12 roads totaling more than $8,000,000 and will receive help on 6 more roads, valued at over $13,000,000. Craig County has 2 roads completed totaling more than $83,000 and has one more road to be completed soon with a price tag of $40,000. Delaware County has 17 roads completed valued at over $6,000,000 and 5 more roads on the project list to be completed in the next five years valued at over $21,000,000.

"We usually get about 99% of our right-of-ways donated because the people are so happy to be getting a new road," Buzzard said. "They go in areas that they are really needed."

For more information on the Cherokee Nation Roads Program contact Buzzard, phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2321).