TULSA, Okla. — The widening of Yale Avenue between 81st and 91st is finally complete.
Expanding the road from two lanes to six lanes was years in the making.
After lots of construction, residents are taking advantage of the new layout.
Macy Ramsey lived here her whole life and remembers how scary it could be to drive on the roads before the renovation.
"I know there was probably a lot of accidents," she said. "It was two lanes before, and there was a scary guardrail."
She said the lanes will also help move traffic along quickly.
"This is a really busy area, it's like in the Jenks school district," said Ramsey. "It's just great that they're adding all this room for people to actually be able to drive."
The new road is made of 9-inch-thick concrete and is divided by a raised, landscaped center median with dedicated left turn lanes.
Carolina Marino is the owner of El Arepaso Venezuelan Café.
She is excited to be able to use the street and believes it will be good for the community.
(Translated from Spanish)
"It's a good thing because there will be better movement of traffic," she said.
She also said it will help drivers feel more comfortable while driving.
(Translated from Spanish)
"Traffic will be faster and we won't have to stay in one lane for a long time," said Marino. "The city is growing and getting better, so I would think that because of more people moving in that more roads are needed.”
She also hopes the streets will help to bring more customers into her café as driving becomes easier.
Those walking the streets now also have 6-foot-wide sidewalks on both sides of the road.
The total cost of the project is $31 million — funded through the Improve Our Tulsa sales tax. The project also finished $9 million under the engineer's original cost estimate, the city said.
Mayor G.T. Bynum thanked citizens for their patience during the project.
"At the completion of the largest road project in Tulsa's history, it's amazing to see how Yale Avenue has been transformed from a risky, curvy, two-lane road to a much safer six-lane road with sidewalks and landscaping," Bynum said. "I’m happy to see all six lanes open, and I want to thank the citizens of Tulsa for their support and patience through the construction of our new Yale Avenue.”
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