Busy Catoosa Intersection Blocked As ODOT Removes I-44 Bridge

NewsOn6.com

CATOOSA, OK -- All lanes of north and southbound 193rd East Avenue are closed at this junction, while the old eastbound I-44 bridge is removed -- literally in chunks and pieces.

"We'll have to keep 193rd closed because obviously we'll be bringing down a large structure onto the roadway below, so for the safety of drivers we're going to keep it closed until 6 a.m. Monday, so we can make sure we have everything cleared out and its safe for all traffic to go underneath it," said ODOT spokesperson Kenna Mitchell.

The surface road sees heavy traffic to the Cherokee Hard Rock Casino and the Port of Catoosa area. 193rd East Avenue generally has nearly 15,000 vehicles a day, but ODOT says they have no other choice.

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"This is a time that we thought we'd have the least impact to traffic, and we certainly do appreciate drivers letting us get in, letting us get this structure removed quickly and getting traffic restored back to normal," said Mitchell.

All lanes of 193rd East Avenue are anticipated to open to traffic by 6 a.m. Monday. This closure is not expected to impact traffic on east or westbound I-44.

Signs will be in place to show detours using US-169, SH-266 and SH-167 (193rd East Avenue) during the closure of 193rd East Avenue at the I-44 junction. Drivers should plan for extra travel time on these routes.

12/31/2009 Related Story: I-44 Traffic Delays At 193rd East Avenue

Traffic on I-44 was routed onto the new bridge Saturday.