Tulsa School Administrators Rush To Get Word Out About Coming Road Work

Tulsa Public Schools administrators are scrambling to get the word out about road work happening in front of McClure Elementary School.

School administrators were caught a little off guard when they got word a stretch of 61st Street was going to close for more than half a year. They just want kids to come early and plan ahead.

Bulldozers are laying down asphalt for new entrances and exits to McClure Elementary and the Early Childhood Education Center.

"We're going to have to take things that parents are used to and do some things that are very new and not expected," said Principal Katy Jimenez.

McClure's principal said a 10-month road widening project is turning everything upside down for getting kids in and out of school.

The school found out so late that it actually had to send out letters to parents, hoping they would get the word out for Monday.

Administrators also laid out a plan for how traffic will be re-routed onto Yorktown when 61st is closed. A temporary crosswalk will go in west of its original location.

See the traffic flow map here

"We're talking about a thousand students and families entering through two entrances into parking lots," Jimenez said.

Beverly Roberson said, "I had to do a complete turn around."

Roberson was picking up her grandson.

"It's going to be ridiculous, but if it's for [the students] safety, I hope it's better," Roberson said.

Douglas Lee says the temporary shutdown shouldn't affect how he drops off his fourth grader.

"It will be way better, but the only thing that will hold them up is the weather. Other than that, it will go really fast."

Principal Jimenez said, in the end, this will make the morning walk to school safer.

"You're going to have sidewalks, you're going to have a protected turn lane, so your kids are going to be safe, you're going to have a stop light--so, we're looking at this as the city's positive response to the needs of the community," she said.

Over the weekend, crosswalk signs will go down and Monday will sort of be a dry run for students and parents.

On November 26, the roads will close and construction along 61st Street will go into high gear.