Cracked Bridge Causing Hold Up In Tulsa River Trail Opening

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation will open a new pedestrian bridge over the Arkansas River around the first of the year, but another part of the trail near Interstate 244 will stay closed until summer.

ODOT opened the bridge for cars going over the river more than a year ago, but hasn't been able to open a pedestrian trail underneath it - or the trail on the other side.

Two different problems are causing holdups that won't be entirely fixed until next summer.

ODOT finished a new pedestrian bridge 14 months ago, but it's been blocked off while ramps on either end are finished - and the city ties it in to their security system. The roadblocks here will come out after ODOT finishes a retaining wall and stripes the cement.

"It's been a line time coming.  It'll be great when it's done.  It's first class, it will be a first class venue when it's done.  We just want to stay out of traffic," said trail user Carl Johnson.

"The entire trail won't be open to the public, but hopefully in the next few weeks we can have at least part of the trail open to include the pedestrian bridge over the Arkansas River," said Bruce Arnold, engineer with ODOT.

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The trail connections around the bridge are a nagging problem for ODOT, but a small bridge is the biggest problem of them all. It's a steel bridge over the railroad that connects to Newblock Block and the trail to Sand Springs.

Even though it's only 16 years old, it's cracked and ODOT doesn't think it can be repaired.

"During construction there was a crack discovered in a span that goes across the railroad, so we're working with a contractor right now to replace that span," Arnold said.

ODOT doesn't have a bid on the project, or a firm schedule for the repair - but expects it could be rebuilt by next summer - a full two years after the massive bridge project around it - was done.

"As long as they're going to fix it.  They've committed to that, and it keeps us out of traffic," said Carl Johnson, cyclist.

So one section opens up in a couple of weeks, though there's no firm date; the steel bridge over the tracks next May - at the earliest.