New Regulations Coming To Dangerous Bixby Intersection

Some new regulations are about to go into effect to make a dangerous Bixby intersection safer.

The changes come after a motorcyclist lost his life in the time it takes to make a turn.

For the last year, the district three county commissioners have been working to make the change at the 106th and Memorial intersection in Bixby.

There are often accidents there, but last year someone died.

Rachel Brewer remembers seeing the mangled motorcycle, hoping the driver would pull through.

"You could tell it was bad, that someone had injured very badly, if not killed," she said.

At peak traffic times Memorial is packed, causing a huge problem for people heading east or west on 106th, turning across Memorial.

Brewer said, "Three lanes on each side, 50 miles an hour, so, making a left-hand turn from this side of Memorial, or that side, just dangerous."

Brewer lives nearby and said she hears accidents all the time. She happens to be an insurance agent who often talks about responsibility.

"So, I felt like I have a responsibility to at least try," she said.

For the last year, she's been trying hard to make left turns there illegal.

Because Memorial is considered a state highway controlled by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, there were challenges.

Through persistence, and help from County Commissioner Ron Peters, the change she hoped for is becoming a reality.

"It wasn't very easy, but it was very worthwhile. It's a very dangerous, busy intersection, and I worked with the state department of transportation, then, the cities of Bixby and Tulsa to agree what would go there," Peters said.

The plan is to put in turn barriers. They will let people already on Memorial turn left, but keep people from making left turns onto Memorial from 106th Street.

Peters said, “I think people are gonna be appreciative of the fact that people aren't going to be risking their lives."

The county commissioner said this is one example of how your civic duty can pay off.

The turn barriers are expected to be installed by the end of April.