TULSA, Okla. — Drivers frustrated by construction on South Memorial Drive for the last 14 months might finally get some relief, according to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
Nearly 50,000 drivers battle traffic on the stretch of State Highway 169 at the Creek Turnpike every day.
"We're getting near to switching traffic over to driving on the left side underneath the bridge, the Creek Turnpike bridge underneath or over Memorial," ODOT spokesman T.J. Gerlach said. "That should happen by the end of next week."
However, the new layout won't be what Tulsans are used to.
2 News was there from the planning stages:
For just the second time, Oklahoma will have a diverging diamond interchange, or DDI. The first was installed in Elk City in 2020. Gerlach admits it's a rarity, but not for bad design. The data, he said, points to fewer accidents, fewer turns, and fewer dangers for pedestrians walking across.
"(Drivers will) be directed to back to the right side once they go across the bridge. What this does is it allows for free flowing left turns onto and off of the expressway. So those those people turning on or off the highway, they don't have to wait for a left turn signal. They're not crossing traffic to get on or off the highway," Gerlach said.
Right turns won't cross traffic either, he said.
ODOT reports it's actually slightly ahead of schedule in the project, but it expects some drivers will be confused at first with this new type of interchange and asks drivers to follow the signs that will also be installed next week.
"We can't alleviate the absolute worst at the peak hours, but we're hoping to maybe reduce that peak congestion just by more efficiently flowing traffic through the interchange," Gerlach added.
ODOT said overall construction should be finished by June.
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