It's no secret that Oklahoma and the Lone Star State share somewhat of a sibling rivalry type of relationship. Whether it be sports, attractions, riverwalks, or roads, it always boils down to competition.

The Sooner State has been on an infrastructure kick for the last twenty years, ever since the I-40 bridge collapse, and while most bridges have been rebuilt, the focus is now on roads and highways.

There have always been two different methods of highly traveled road building in Oklahoma--concrete and asphalt. The concrete roads last a very long time, but they're super expensive to build. Asphalt is cheap and easily recyclable, but it doesn't stand up to the Oklahoma summer heat for very long.

It appears the Oklahoma DOT is adopting the Texas method of building two-lane highways that have always had people talking about how nice TX roads are... The old tar and gravel method.

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After surfacing the existing road, they literally spray a thick layer of tar down on the road, and then a truck pulls up and dumps an even layer of gravel on top.

The tar holds the gravel and makes the roadbed water-resistant, the gravel becomes the new durable road surface.

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While it may seem like a cheap trick to save taxpayer dollars, this method has proven it's reliability across Texas for decades.

It also makes for easy repairs, since it's just tar and gravel, fixing a section of road only takes days instead of the months we're used to in Oklahoma.

There is a tradeoff to a smoother ride though, and it's the noise. It's just the nature of gravel. It's loud... and it'll probably accelerate the wearing of your tires if you travel these small highways a lot, but that's life I suppose. I know I'd rather buy tires more often than have our normal rough roads destroy my vehicle altogether.

No news on whether this is a road test (which is pretty common) or if this is the newly adopted Oklahoma two-lane standard. Time will tell.

Oklahoma's Best Motorcycle Road Trips

Since motorcycling is practically a year-round thing in Oklahoma, anytime is a good time to start planning your next road trip. Whether you're getting the moto-bros together for the ride, or packing up your significant other for a little two-wheel therapy, here are the best motorcycle road trips inside the Sooner State.

Route maps can be found in the Oklahoma Motorcycle Guide.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

Do Not Leave These Things in Your Hot Car in Oklahoma

While you would expect most of this to be common sense and general knowledge, you'd be amazed how many people found out the hard way there are some things you should never leave in a hot vehicle. Since we're knee-deep into another hot Oklahoma summer, it's worth mentioning to those who don't know.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

The Best Places to Live in Oklahoma

When it comes to living in Oklahoma, there is no shortage of opinions on where you should live. If you compare all of the different metrics--schools, cost of living, diversity, amenities, etc--you'll get a slightly different list every time... but if you compound all of them into one, you get this list. The best places to live in Oklahoma.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

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