Westbound Lanes Of I-44 At 161st East Avenue Remain Closed

By Jeffrey Smith, The News On 6

CATOOSA, OK -- The westbound lanes of I-44 at 161st East Avenue were supposed to reopen Tuesday morning after being shut down for repairs late Monday and early Tuesday morning. 

But the Oklahoma Department of Transportation says all lanes of westbound I-44 at the 161st East Avenue junction will remain closed until further notice.

Traffic continues to be detoured onto the access ramps at this location.

ODOT says Tuesday morning's cold temperatures are affecting the setting of the newly-poured concrete, and once it is determined that the deck can safely accommodate traffic, the left lane of westbound I-44 will be open as originally planned.

The right lane will remain closed.

All lanes of eastbound I-44 will be closed at the 161st East Avenue junction, and traffic will be detoured onto the access ramps at this location from 8 p.m. Tuesday night until 6 a.m. Wednesday, weather permitting.

Nearly 20 cars have been damaged since two holes opened up in the westbound lanes of the bridge Friday and Sunday mornings. 

This latest work is outside of peak traffic hours, and is expected to reduce the amount of overall time needed for repairs to the bridges at this location, ODOT reports.

2/21/2010  Related Story: Second Hole In I-44 Bridge Forces Lane Closure Again

During the overnight closure, east and westbound I-44 traffic will be routed onto the 161st East Avenue exit ramps, and will continue onto the on-ramps around this junction. According to the news release, for the safety of traffic in this area, all lanes of 165th East Avenue under I-44 will be closed during this project, and I-44 traffic will not be able to turn onto north or southbound 165th East Avenue.

ODOT reports that since this is a route that drivers are not used to, extreme caution is urged. ODOT urges drivers to allow plenty of time for this detour, or find an alternate route if possible.

Both bridges are currently under contract for replacement. This project began in late January. Drivers have been diverted to the shoulder for about a week now, then the potholes started popping up. Engineers cite the stress on the shoulder as a factor in the potholes, along with the recent rain and cold temperatures.

"You never what the weather's going to throw at you," said Randle White, an ODOT engineer.

Just last week, ODOT shut down a section of the IDL for several days for pavement repair. They're doing that for two 10-hour sessions this week, but it's not a long-term option here.

"161st is a spot where, to be honest, there's no real detour around it. It's one main thoroughfare basically from 169 all the way out to the Creek," said Martin Stewart, ODOT Risk Manager.

The bridge has a troubled history. A portion of the decking collapsed almost exactly two years ago. Two weeks before that, chunks of concrete -- some weighing 100 pounds -- fell onto the road below. 

ODOT says they monitor road surfaces for failure, but can't predict when something like this will appear.

"With our system the way it is, the age that it is, the winter that we've had already -- the freeze, the salt, the thaw -- the moisture that we've had on it, we are going to continue to have problems in older areas," said Stewart.

How safe are the bridges you drive over every day? Find out more with NewsOn6.com's Oklahoma Bridge Tracker.