I-44 Construction May Cause Tulsa Drivers Confusion In Coming Days

Lanes will close, ramps will change, and drivers will likely be confused and frustrated on I-44 in the days ahead.

Friday evening, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation shrank the flow of traffic down to just one lane, heading east and west on I-44 between Lewis and Riverside.

That's just for the weekend, but come Monday, your commute could get ugly.

With I-44 under construction, even light traffic can get bumper to bumper at a moment's notice. And with widening efforts creeping west, more barrels and flashing lights are expected.

This weekend, I-44 will be narrowed to just one lane both ways in order to shift westbound traffic on to new pavement.

But state transportation officials say the biggest changes will be in how you get on and off the highway.

That westbound Lewis onramp will be closed until further notice. Drivers are advised to take the Harvard or Peoria entrances.

And that's promising to add more congestion to the Peoria area, which is already feeling the effects of construction.

"All that Lewis traffic is going to get funneled to Peoria to access the onramp. We've already got Peoria narrowed to one lane for some reconstruction at that junction, so there's going to be some tie-ups," said Kenna Mitchell of ODOT.

ODOT is also shifting the westbound exit ramp to Peoria much farther east, in fact it's just after you pass under the Lewis bridge.

Crews say drivers are going to have to keep their eyes peeled.

"If they don't follow the signs, if they miss that new ramp, they're going to have to go across the Arkansas River bridge to 75 to turn around. It's crucial that they pay attention to the signs," Mitchell said.

With all the lane changes, and ramp switches, ODOT is asking drivers to take it easy on those accelerators.

"Really we're emphasizing just go slow on Monday. Pay extra attention to the signs. Give yourself a lot of extra travel time if you have to be in this corridor Monday morning," Mitchell said.

ODOT says try to avoid the area during construction, if you can't, add plenty of extra time to get where you need to go.

For more information you can click on the Daily Detour for the latest on construction in the area.