More than $170 million will be used to fund road and bridge projects in Cleveland County, ODOT Director Gary Ridley said this week.

Those projects include a major expansion of Interstate 35 in Norman from Indian Hills Road to Main Street — a project which could begin late next year.

“The goal is to let that contract and get things going right after the football season of 2008,” Ridley said.

Ridley said the $102 million, two-phase project would improve the interstate’s surface, bridges and interchanges from the north end of Norman to the Canadian River.

The second phase — from Main Street south — will include the I-35’s three interchanges.

“It’s a big chunk of change,” he said.

Other projects include:

• $7 million to improve a portion of Western Avenue, so it can be made part of the state’s highway system.

• $17.5 million to upgrade U.S. 77 from State Highway 39 to Noble.

• $17 million for improvements to State Highway 9 from 24th Avenue Southeast to 72nd Avenue Southeast.

• $6.5 million for upgrades to SH 39, between SH 25 and I-35.

• $11 million to improve a nine-mile stretch of SH 39, about two miles east of U.S. 77.

• $8.5 million to improve SH 62, at the Grady County line, near Blanchard.

• $2 million to remove an abandoned railroad trestle on SH 59.

• $13 million to refurbish the SH 9 interchange over I-35.