Problems at a busy Interstate highway bridge in Tulsa

Multiple lanes of a busy Tulsa freeway are closed and it is virtually at the same spot where a dump truck got stuck under an overpass just last week. <br/><br/>News on 6 anchor Scott Thompson says I-244

Thursday, August 18th 2005, 11:27 am

By: News On 6

Multiple lanes of a busy Tulsa freeway are closed and it is virtually at the same spot where a dump truck got stuck under an overpass just last week.

News on 6 anchor Scott Thompson says I-244 at Mingo is the same intersection, but at different bridge.

Tulsa Police and fire crews driving underneath I-244 on Mingo saw a pile of debris looked up and there was a hole in the road. No one was hurt by the falling chunks of concrete, but Tulsa Police quickly closed Mingo Road.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma Department of Transportation crews tackled the problem up above. Part of a patch on the "westbound" I-244 overpass broke loose and crumbled onto the street below. Crews immediately blocked off the two inside lanes of I-244 and got to work.

This is just after a dump truck got pinned under the "eastbound" overpass last Thursday. That bridge is holding up for now, but the right lane on that side is still blocked off.

Engineers say with all the congestion, commuters should find another way home. ODOT division engineer Paul Green: â€œwe're trying to limit the flow of traffic onto 244, but 169 is still open, we're trying to basically get all the traffic on 169 to go south to I-44 and to go across town in that way.â€

ODOT has activated its "Amber Alert" signs, warning drivers to avoid the area if at all possible.

Repair crews have finished most of their work, but still have the two inside lanes blocked off until the new concrete has time to set. They say that could take until some Friday morning.