Construction Projects On I-244 Begin Monday

There are some highway changes due to construction coming for drivers on I-244, in east Tulsa, as well as near downtown.

Both start Monday morning.

The southbound U.S. Highway 75 ramp on I-244 will close Monday morning so the Oklahoma Department of Transportation can replace the bridge that makes up most of the turn.

Kenna Mitchell, of ODOT, said, "This is going to be closed for five months. We're having to go in and replace the deck on this bridge - it's in pretty rough shape - and the barrier wall, to make it a little bit safer road for folks."

The job will mean westbound I-244 traffic will have to loop around downtown to get to the Broken Arrow Expressway.

On the northwest corner of the IDL, the bridge project at the Arkansas River is about half-done. The lower deck is for commuter trains, the upper deck is for cars. It's going to take another full year.

Much of the work underway now is on the lower level.

The bridge will carry west bound traffic when it's done.

Meanwhile the ongoing work at the I-244, Highway 169 junction will mean a lane shift for commuters Monday morning.

"There's a section in between Memorial and 169 junction going east bound," Mitchell said. "We'll be able to move drivers up onto a new section of pavement, so drivers will be pushed over to the new pavement and we'll be closing the two left lanes in that corridor."

That job is a total rebuild of the highway, digging up the concrete down to the dirt and starting over.

But part of it is done, and starting Monday drivers going eastbound will be on the section that's been rebuilt.

Both the lane shift and the ramp closure will only impact the drivers on I-244 though Tulsa.

As always, you can get the latest on road construction and detours by checking the Daily Detour page.