Construction Crews Start Monday On Tulsa I-44 Widening Project

By Tara Vreeland, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is starting a new project Monday to widen I-44 from four to six lanes in the city of Tulsa.

The project is to broaden the I-44 corridor from just east of Yale to just west of 41st street.

"The first thing the public will notice is the westbound frontage road will be shutting down on Monday," said Paul Green, ODOT construction manager.

The road underneath the highway will also be closed so the bridges over Darlington Avenue can be replaced.

"It's not part of our I-44 to the river corridor. But it has been really the last phase in trying to complete the corridor from I-44 and 244 on the east side of town, all the way to Yale," said Paul Green.

The highway will always have two lanes in both directions during peak hours.

Smart work zones will also be set up to help alert drivers. 

"It gives them a chance if they see the sign before an interchange that they might take an alternate route," said Paul Green.

The $11 million project is scheduled to take a year to finish.

"In the end result, we are going to have six lanes of highway through that area," said Paul Green.

Daily lane and ramp closures are noted in the traffic advisories section of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation web site.