Downtown Traffic Headaches

Tuesday, October 2nd 2007, 10:05 am

By: News On 6

Tulsans who work or visit downtown Tulsa have already noticed that a major street replacement project is underway. In all, about 50 blocks of downtown Tulsa streets are being replaced. News On 6 reporter Steve Berg reports it is a very big project.

Paul Zachary with city of Tulsa's Public Works Department says itâ€™s the first major rehab of downtown streets in some 30 years. They're using a combination of 2001 and 2006 3rd Penny Sales Tax money, 2005 bond money, and some Vision 2025 money for sidewalks and other beautification.

"We're spending about $20 to $30 million downtown right now just on the streets and some of the infrastructure," says Paul Zachary.

Zachary says the goal is to get all the construction done before the BOk Center opens next fall. They're targeting the main routes to and from the BOk Center like Denver Avenue running north and south and 2nd and 3rd Streets running east and west, to hopefully improve traffic flow during large events.

"That's what we're trying to hit are those major thoroughfares, so when we do have an event, we're not having orange barrels out there right after we open the arena," says Paul Zachary.

The price for doing so much at once is a kind of controlled chaos, but Zachary says the rewards will be dramatic.

"Here in just a few months, people are really going to be able to see a difference just around in the immediate vicinity of the arena," says Paul Zachary.

To find out more about the city of Tulsa downtown street projects, click here.