TULSA, Okla. — Tusla area drivers who take the Broken Arrow Expressway from Lewis Avenue to Highway 75 will begin experiencing slowdowns starting Monday. The one-mile stretch will be narrowed down to two lanes for a repaving project.
Millions travel on Oklahoma roads each day, and that causes wear and tear.
“It’s like taking a mini off road course sometimes. There’s a lot of potholes and a lot of cracks in the asphalt and stuff like that,” said Russell Mullenix who drives this section of the BA expressway daily.
So, to create a smoother and safer drive for Tulsans, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation is scheduled to start its repavement rehabilitation project.
“This is a full-depth reconstruction," said ODOT Spokesperson, TJ Gerlach. Drivers that go through there right now know that some of the pavement is pretty rough. So we’re gonna go down there and make sure it’s all new, all fresh and it’s gonna be a nice smooth ride for commuters."
On top of making the road smoother, the project will aim to make it safer too.
“We’re also gonna replace the grass medians in the area. So there’s gonna be new shoulders on the inside as well as a new barrier wall to improve safety through that area," Gerlach said.
Gerlach said because this is a high-traffic area, he’s urging drivers to be aware of the changes.
“When we go down to two lanes each direction, there will probably be some congestion, especially during the rush hour periods. We just urge drivers to be cautious, maybe leave a few minutes earlier and give yourself extra time to get where you need to go."
Despite that little hassle, Mullenix says it will be worth it.
"It's going to be a nuisance for a bit but I’m glad to see it being done because it’s pretty bad through there. The last few times I’ve driven through there sometimes I’ve changed lanes when I didn’t want to just because you kind of break traction driving through some of the rough part of the road," Mullenix said. "So it’s well over due for some attention. I’m looking forward to seeing what the new roads going to be like to travel on so I’m excited but at the same time I’m going to have to figure out a different way to get somewhere.”
The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023.
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