GLENPOOL, Okla. — Glenpool residents are hopeful for relief after ODOT announced plans to turn the 141st Street and U.S. 75 intersection into an interchange.
An interchange means ODOT would raise Highway 75 over 141st Street and eliminate the need for a traffic light.
ODOT and Glenpool residents recognize the population increase in the town and the headaches more traffic is causing. From 2020 to 2022, Glenpool's population increased by 4%. Their population steadily increased since 1990.
That's why ODOT explored this interchange for some time, with an environmental assessment completed in 2002.
ODOT held a meeting on Nov. 28 to present the plan and ask for public input.
"I think it needed to be done twenty years ago," Glenpool neighbor David Miller said.
Miller is one of several residents who are happy about the plans.
"When I moved here, there was like 4,500 people who lived here, and now there’s over 16,000," Miller said. "For years, it was the fastest-growing city in Oklahoma.
ODOT said the intersection sees 48,260 cars per day. By 2050, they expect that number to rise to 75,820 per day.
One area resident told 2 News Oklahoma off-camera she actively avoids the intersection because of the wait time and the chances of a collision.
This section of U.S. 75 has four 12-foot driving lanes with four-foot inside shoulders, 10-foot outside shoulders, and a divided open median. As it currently stands, drivers enter and exit through dedicated turning lanes at the traffic light.
On top of raising U.S. 75 over 141st Street, ODOT would add exit and entry ramps as well as protected turnarounds between the different ramps. These upgrades would allow for connections between 141st Street and the highway.
The project is estimated to cost around $27.5 million.
The goals of the project are improving safety, increasing the roadway's capacity and efficiency, gaining access control of the facility, and bettering traffic flow along the corridor of the existing alignment.
Those looking to submit comments about the project have until Dec. 5. You can submit your comments via mail to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation Environmental Programs Division at 200 NE 21st Street in Oklahoma City.
You can also email enviornment@odot.org or on their website by clicking here.
For a more in-depth breakdown of the plan and an interactive map, click here.
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