TULSA, Okla. — $196 million in Tulsa road work is expected to start next year.
At a meeting last week, the Oklahoma Transportation Commission approved a new eight-year plan for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. It’s bringing changes to the I-44 and U.S. 75 interchange.
With 68,000 drivers on I-44 every day and 65,000 drivers on U.S. 75 daily, according to 2022 traffic numbers from ODOT, the agency is gearing up to finish the last three phases of work on a busy interchange.
“Ready for it to be over with so we can see which way it’s going to go up,” said Tim Jones.
Tim Jones has owned a business in the area for 30 years. He saw the construction in 2021 that put the pillars known as Traffic Hengein place.
“It impacted people getting over here from downtown and all that,” said Jones.
ODOT says they’ll bid out the three phases in the spring of 2024 and likely start work in the mid-late fall of 2024. The project will complete the flyover ramps, make improvements to Skelly Drive, create a new access road between 61st Street and Skelly Drive, and bring changes on I-44 toward the river and U.S. 75 north toward the interchange.
- Previous coverage >>> As construction stalls, Tulsans refer to I-44/75 project as 'Traffic Henge'
“All three of those projects combined are going to basically complete the entire interchange,” said T.J. Gerlach.
T.J. Gerlach, spokesperson for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, says federal grant money is allowing them to start this work at the same time with a $196 million dollar price tag.
“Which will likely be the largest project ever in the state of Oklahoma for highways,” said Gerlach.
ODOT says once the work gets started here, they expect those projects to take about three years. The final phase of the work will address I-44 from Union Avenue, extending west toward the Turner Turnpike. That project is scheduled to start in 2029.
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