Tulsa Road Project Suffers Setback After Crews Hit Buried Railroad Line

Emory Bryan, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- A midtown road project has run off the tracks after an unexpected problem at a busy intersection.

The road was closed down for a brief archeological dig Wednesday night. Workers reworking the intersection dug deep enough to hit the 11th Street Trolley line and a row of railroad ties that had to come out.

The discovery was made earlier in the day. The ties were underneath a layer of bricks and asphalt and a few were very well preserved.

Now, it's the patchwork repair that has drivers feeling like they're on more of a roller coaster than trolley ride.

"It's bad, bad, bad," one driver said.

The overnight, deep dig across Peoria was quickly covered with bagged concrete and gravel. The rain soaked it early Thursday, leaving it bumpy and squishy at the same time.

"I can feel it in my feet down there," another driver said.

Drivers dodged what they could; others went through before they realized how bad it was. It's also a busy intersection for emergency vehicles.

The buried rail line is from the early 1900's, when downtown was linked to neighborhoods with mass transit. The 11th street trolley line turned at Elgin.

The discovery is a brief set back in a year long overhaul of intersections on 11th and on Peoria.

The city says it will be done in October and the others will be done by next spring.

3/24/2011 Related Story: Street Rehab Project To Include First Tulsa 'Roundabout'