Construction To Resume On I-44, Highway 75 Interchange

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation says construction is about to start again on the I-44 and Highway 75 interchange.

Related: Tulsa Traffic Advisories: What You Need To Know (August 5, 2024)

Some parts of the project are already in place. The giant bridge piers have been in place since the first round of construction wrapped up two years ago. Many people have wondered what the plan is for this area, and the Department of Transportation says it's been part of a big strategy.

The unfinished construction project along I-44 and Highway 75 has gone viral with recommendations on what it should turn into. But in the latest Department of Transportation meeting, Director Tim Gatz says this project is anything but unfinished.

Related: 'Tulsa's Stonehenge': Video Of Unfinished Tulsa Construction Goes Viral; ODOT Comments On The Process

"It's always our goal to make sure that traffic and the conditions up there are impacted as least as possible when we do big projects like this," Gatz said.

Gatz says the pier caps were built in the first of five phases to upgrade the intersection. The next three phases are expected to start next spring, and Gatz says all the pieces will eventually come together.

"That's when the benefit of having those columns and those pier caps gets realized. It allows us to move faster, it allows us to minimize disruptions to traffic," Gatz explained.

Transportation leaders also discussed the new interstate project coming to Highway 412 between the Cimarron and Cherokee turnpikes. This includes upgrades to I-44 and State Highway 66 near Catoosa.

"We've got operational improvements that are going to come into play there that'll straighten out some of the wiggles in those lanes through that interchange, and also provide a much higher level of access," Gatz said.

Gatz says other big changes coming to Highway 412 will include closing crossings and intersections to make the roads safer. The Department of Transportation says the project near Catoosa will be on a tight deadline, with hope to finish before the Route 66 Centennial. The project at I-44 and Highway 75 is expected to be completed in three years.