Revitalization Project At 11th and Lewis In Tulsa Nears Completion After 2 Years

After two years of construction, the revitalization of the 11th and Lewis intersection is nearly complete.

The project to revamp the intersection started back in July of 2021 and was supposed to take about a year to complete. There's still work to be done here, but drivers will be happy that traffic is back to normal. Except for the occasional train, cars driving down Route 66 at Lewis Avenue can move smoothly now, after years of construction that made getting around this area difficult.

"It was a little hectic, things got backed up a little bit, customers were voicing their concerns a little bit, ya know being annoyed with the traffic and everything that was going on," says Ryan Gibson, the manager at The Gadget Company.

He says their store benefits heavily from foot traffic, so going from torn-up sidewalks to this, is a big improvement.

"We're definitely seeing the benefits of them revamping this intersection if you will, it's really nice," he says.

The Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation funded the majority of this project and says unexpected construction delays and pandemic supply chain issues have extended it longer than expected, but now most of the sidewalks are open, trees and signs have been added, and the traffic lights are back to normal, a relief for Jess Thomas who works nearby at Root Coworking.

"You couldn't really get down the sidewalk and there was no way to cross easily and they put up all of the pedestrian crosswalks and things like that as well," she says.

Thomas says the commitment to making this area its best makes the construction worthwhile.

The Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation says the final touches to this project will still take some time, they expect to be completely done with the project by the end of the year.