Major Construction Project On Tulsa's 'IDL' Starts Wednesday

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is about to begin a major project on the Inner Dispersal Loop around downtown Tulsa.

It's also about to begin a second project on State Highway 11 near I-244.

The $25 million project on the Inner Dispersal Loop will involved reconstructing all pavement on the south leg. The Inner Dispersal Loop is the highway that forms a square around downtown Tulsa. 

It will also rehabilitate the eastbound I-244 ramp to northbound US-75/eastbound US-64/SH-51, the Houston Street bridge on the south leg of the IDL and also the 6th and 11th Street bridges on the east leg of the IDL.

ODOT says it expects the southbound US-75/westbound US-64/SH-51 lanes on the south leg of the IDL to close to traffic by 6 a.m. on Wednesday, January 2, 2019 until further notice. Traffic will detour to the other legs of the IDL.

The southbound US-75 lanes of the east leg are also closing to traffic later that day until further notice. This means drivers can expect significant delays on all downtown highway corridors, especially during peak travel times.

ODOT expects the project to be completed in early 2020, weather permitting.

ODOT map of the IDL construction project beginning January 2, 2019. Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

ODOT spokesperson Kenna Mitchell says the project should be finished early next year. She said it will be inconvenient for drivers but it's the best call in the long run.

"It's more efficient to go in and pull everything from the ground up at the same time rather than breaking it apart into different segments," Mitchell said.

ODOT says it expects a separate project to rehabilitate bridges on US-64/SH-51 (Broken Arrow Expressway) between Lewis Avenue and 15th Street to start in early spring 2019. It says it will provide further details as they are scheduled.

On January 7, 2019, ODOT will begin some bridge rehabilitation projects on State Highway 11 near the I-244 junction.

The $9 million project will improve eight bridges on State Highway 11. They include bridges at the I-244 junction, at Pine Street, Memorial Drive and also over a BNSF rail line.

The project will affect anyone traveling to Tulsa International Airport and detours to the main airport entrance will be in place during part of the project.

ODOT says this project will be very similar to the one they did on the north and west legs of the IDL a few years ago.