US-75/I-44 Interchange

[shavethewhales]

I still can't believe we are going to be looking at half constructed flyovers for several years before this thing is finished. I'm glad they started at least, but I have been waiting years for this and it's going to be at least 2026 before I can get from I44 to US75 smoothly. By that time I will almost certainly be living somewhere else anyway...

[BG918]

Timeline for completion

[Swake]

Between the end of work package one and the start of packages 2 and 5 will be the 81st street interchange rebuild and widening. I hope a new infrastructure deal can bring in those dates some.

[Plutonic Panda]

Hopefully with a new infrastructure package it could be sped up. Does anyone know if the entire project is “shovel ready?”

[Swake]

Hopefully with a new infrastructure package it could be sped up. Does anyone know if the entire project is “shovel ready?”

It should be, the design work is done.

[Plutonic Panda]

ODOT has submitted this project for a RAISE grant so hopefully it’ll get the money.

https://oklahoma.gov/odot/progress-a...se-grants.html

[Snowman]

Hopefully with a new infrastructure package it could be sped up. Does anyone know if the entire project is “shovel ready?”

Even if it were not, with such a long timeline any other projects ahead of it that benefit from an infrastructure package would likely speed up how quickly the normal budget dollars could be allocated to this.

[Plutonic Panda]

It looks like ODOT will get a chance to receive a loan to help expedite this project through a new program called INFRA extra that is giving certain 2019 applications a chance to receive up to 49 percent assistance.

“ Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Tulsa County I-44 and US-75 Corridor Improvement Projects”

https://www.transportation.gov/brief...t-designations

Not sure what part of the project this would fund but it would be nice to have the ultimate build out started before 2023.

[Plutonic Panda]

It looks like this project will be expedited and be fully underway by fall of 2023: https://www.krmg.com/news/local/work..._VF0i0RGnA879Q

[shavethewhales]

That's great! This is what we hoped would happen when they started the project like they did. They basically put things into motion not really knowing how long it would take to complete but hoping that having things started would bring in more funding - and it worked! Now we need to do the same thing for the I44/BA and the BA/169 interchanges.

[josefromtulsa]

They've started work on 169 and I-44. I am trying to figure out what ramps will be flyover and which will be clovers. EB I-44 to NB 169 and WB I-44 to SB 169 should both at least be ramps

[Swake]

They've started work on 169 and I-44. I am trying to figure out what ramps will be flyover and which will be clovers. EB I-44 to NB 169 and WB I-44 to SB 169 should both at least be ramps

This project adds just one flyover. EB I-44 to NB US-169

[josefromtulsa]

This project adds just one flyover. EB I-44 to NB US-169

Well dang. They still need to either braid the 21st St onramp and NB 169 to EB I-44. That's a nightmare for such a busy onramp.

[Plutonic Panda]

Well dang. They still need to either braid the 21st St onramp and NB 169 to EB I-44. That's a nightmare for such a busy onramp.

All of the ramps should be flyovers.

[josefromtulsa]

All of the ramps should be flyovers.

Yeah that’d be great but it’d be best if they got US-169 and OK-51 since that junction is even more high traffic. Same with I44 and OK-51. I think they both have some work planned on thenm

[formerly405Tulsan]

More dollars to ensure it gets done. Also talks about how it will help with flood control.

https://www.fox23.com/news/oklahoma-...G52QZUMZMVDAU/

[josefromtulsa]

More dollars to ensure it gets done. Also talks about how it will help with flood control.

https://www.fox23.com/news/oklahoma-...G52QZUMZMVDAU/

Lots of federal dollars coming to Tulsa and Oklahoma as a whole!

[jdross1982]

I wonder if this will lead to any other projects on ODOT timeline to move up?

[Snowman]

I wonder if this will lead to any other projects on ODOT timeline to move up?

85 million dollars is not that much compared to what is on ODOT's average 8 year plan

[warreng88]

Drove through this twice this weekend. Wondered why it was in the same state as it was a month ago when we went to Claremore. Found an article where someone called it "Traffic Henge" and that made me laugh.

https://www.fox23.com/news/construct...da8c359ed.html

[Plutonic Panda]

The final completion of this interchange was lit for bid this month and should start construction soon. It will be a fully directional with the exception of one loop ramp. I just wish that was a flyover as well, so it would be Oklahoma’s first fully stack interchange:

Director Gatz also provided the commission with an update on the interchange improvements at I-44 and US-75 in Tulsa. The project was divided into five work packages to help ensure the projects were manageable. Major construction was completed on the first work phase, which included bridge piers, in 2022. The piers were built in phase one to speed up planned construction and minimize future traffic impacts. The next round of work is expected to start in 2025 and last three years.

- https://oklahoma.gov/odot/about-us/n...dge-and-i.html

[The]

3 years for what’s left? Seems excessive.

[bombermwc]

I dont understand why they did it this way in general. Why not get the full product going for part of the thing and just not do the other side instead of creating the pillars to nowhere? It's soooooo weird!

[shavethewhales]

Because they didn't have the funding for the full thing, and if they waited until the entire thing was funded it could have been a couple more decades. They made a gamble that getting started on phase 1 would spur additional investment - and it paid off. I would have liked them to have started on phase 2 by now since they got a bunch of infrastructure act money secured, but I think they are trying to let the project up north get a bit farther along before they tear this area up again. It's all part of my commute, so I don't look forward to several more years of construction, but I am happy they are FINALLY getting to it.

[Swake]

3 years for what’s left? Seems excessive.

These three phases will:
Finish the flyover bridges and new ramps in the main interchange
Widen US-75 from the 41st street exit to about 65th Street, including a new 61st Street exist and service roads
Widen I-44 to 8 lanes from east of US-75 to the Riverside Drive intersection including the Arkansas river bridges