I-44 Rebuild

[Plutonic Panda]

Nearly complete. Seems very nice and should help spur some development hopefully.

TULSA, Oklahoma - The final phase of the nearly $400 million road project is almost finished. Tens of thousands of drivers who travel along the interstate couldn't be happier.

"It is a vital route, not just for the people in Tulsa, but it's also a vital route for people traveling across the state of Oklahoma," said Oklahoma Governor, Mary Fallin.

Crews are nearing the end of the fourth and final phase of the five year project stretching from Riverside to Yale.

ODOT Executive Director, Mike Patterson, said, "This is a game changer. This has transformed this whole corridor into a more viable, safe, effective, efficient transportation system."

Since starting in 2009, a massive drainage system now stretches more than a mile underground. There are now six lanes instead of four on a mile and a half stretch of I-44. Several new bridges replace old functionally obsolete ones. And entrance and exit ramps are much better.

"It was really narrow lanes, the on and off ramps were short, and it was an adventure trying to get on and off the highway," ODOT engineer Randall White said. "It was one of the higher accident interstates we had in the state."

A dangerous curve and hill are now no longer a threat. The road was built in the 50's before the interstate system was even established. It no longer met federal standards, so many agree improvements are long overdue.

Tulsa Chamber CEO, Mike Neal, said, "It's one of the oldest sections of interstate in Oklahoma."

During construction, the road closures and detours have been tough on 80,000 drivers each day, but traffic will now flow more efficiently.

"Making a road or a bridge is kind of like making sausage, it's not always pretty in the process, but in the end you get a good product," said Fallin.

The Lewis Bridge over I-44 should open for drivers sometime this summer.

Construction crews also still have some retaining wall and frontage road work to do before the entire project is finished.



- See more here: Ceremony Marks Impending Completion Of Tulsa's I-44 Project - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

[Plutonic Panda]

ODOTs maps that highlights several changes






http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/newsm...s/i44plans.pdf

[bombermwc]

It's not often you see me compliment Tulsa, but watch out folks!

I drove the new I-44 this past weekend on my way through Tulsa. I have to say a BIG props to ODOT and Tulsa for pushing this one through. I know it was a nightmare for everyone while it was being constructed, but the drive is SOOOOOOO MUCH BETTER! No long are you squeezed next to that wall or shoved in tunnels under a little bridge that you just know is gonna fall on you. No more wondering about the complete lack of a barrier to the side road that you could reach out your window and touch. And beyond that, NO MORE TRAFFIC!

Now, if they can just get the connector done on the west end of the river bridge back to the 44/244 split.

[Just the facts]

Nearly complete. Seems very nice and should help spur some development hopefully.

You can count on it.

[BG918]

The new I-44 through Tulsa probably shaves 15-20 min off the drive for those in the OKC metro going to Grand Lake. Now they need to upgrade Hwy 75 to a limited access freeway in south Tulsa County.

[bombermwc]

Just out of curiosity, where are you going south of the Creek on 75 that has any traffic? Glenpool is about all that's out there isn't it? I'm obviously not from Tulsa, so I'm just asking....

[MsProudSooner]

Just out of curiosity, where are you going south of the Creek on 75 that has any traffic? Glenpool is about all that's out there isn't it? I'm obviously not from Tulsa, so I'm just asking....

The stoplight in Glenpool can be a bottleneck. They fixed the problem at 121st (?), just south of the Creek , by building the overpass.

[BG918]

Just out of curiosity, where are you going south of the Creek on 75 that has any traffic? Glenpool is about all that's out there isn't it? I'm obviously not from Tulsa, so I'm just asking....

Glenpool and the growing areas around it. Really the entire highway needs to be rebuilt south of the new river bridge, it's in pretty bad shape. Long term a limited access Hwy 75 to Dallas would be nice instead of having to go through the speed traps of Stringtown and Atoka.

[bombermwc]

Well you know what will happen if they do that? Toll....bleh.

[Just the facts]

The stoplight in Glenpool can be a bottleneck. They fixed the problem at 121st (?), just south of the Creek , by building the overpass.

Did they fix the problem at 121st or just move it to the stop light in Glenpool?

[Swake]

US-75 is limited access now all the way through Jenks to 141st in Glenpool. There’s a full interchange at 121st St/OK-117 and the new half interchange at 111th St. There’s no exit at 131st. There is a bottleneck at the stoplight at 141st but not nearly as bad as there was at 111th.

As bad as 111th St was, it would be really terrible today with the new shopping center and hotels at 121st in Glenpool and all the houses that have been built on the west side of US-75 in Jenks. 141st St in Glenpool does need to be converted to an interchange but with all the development right on the highway it won’t be easy. 151st St has already been converted to an interchange since it’s also OK-67.

US-75 from Jenks north to downtown Tulsa is in horrible shape. I know the bridge/interchange at Jenks Main St (96th St) is due to be replaced in the next several years, it’s in really bad shape but any work is complicated by a large creek running right under the interchange. Main St itself is being widened out to the highway this year. 111th St is supposed to widened soon too.

The 81st St, 61st and 41st St interchanges are terrible but I don’t think there are firm plans on replacing them yet. 71st St was replaced several years ago. The state also rebuilt a couple of the bridges at the US-75/I-44 interchange but even still that whole interchange might just be the worst piece of road in Oklahoma. Nearly all of I-44 and US-75 west of the river needs to be replaced. Really they needed to be replaced 10-15 years ago.

[BG918]

US-75 from Jenks north to downtown Tulsa is in horrible shape. I know the bridge/interchange at Jenks Main St (96th St) is due to be replaced in the next several years, it’s in really bad shape but any work is complicated by a large creek running right under the interchange. Main St itself is being widened out to the highway this year. 111th St is supposed to widened soon too.

The 81st St, 61st and 41st St interchanges are terrible but I don’t think there are firm plans on replacing them yet. 71st St was replaced several years ago. The state also rebuilt a couple of the bridges at the US-75/I-44 interchange but even still that whole interchange might just be the worst piece of road in Oklahoma. Nearly all of I-44 and US-75 west of the river needs to be replaced. Really they needed to be replaced 10-15 years ago.

It's really bad. I-244 between downtown and the airport is in poor shape too. I guess one at a time with I-44 wrapping up and work finishing next year on the IDL.

[Swake]

It's really bad. I-244 between downtown and the airport is in poor shape too. I guess one at a time with I-44 wrapping up and work finishing next year on the IDL.

I looked and I-244 going east from downtown and the south and east legs of the IDL are all being completely reconstructed over the next five years or so. I-244 starts this year and the IDL starts in 2016 going through 2020.

There’s more work planned for I-44/US-75 in starting in 2018. The Jenks Main St/96th work is starts in 2016 with new bridges over Polecat Creek. The 81st St interchange on US-75 is rebuilt starting in 2018.

I-244 coming out of downtown starts a complete rebuild in 2019. US-75 over Southwest Blvd is in 2018.

http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/cwp-8...ision8-map.pdf