OODT To Open New Lanes On Keetonville Hill Between Owasso, Claremore

Drivers on Keetonville Hill between Owasso and Claremore will begin using the new roads that have been under construction for the last year. The new lanes are expected to make the commute safer for drivers and more sustainable for maintenance.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation will open the new lanes of the road at 9 a.m. on Thursday morning. They hope to have all lanes open by noon.

This has been a massive project that started in March of 2021. Crews say the existing Keetonville Hill was no longer sustainable because of safety issues and high maintenance costs.

The $44 million project moves traffic over the top of the hill and comes with a new bridge over the Verdigris river. ODOT says they have had to blast into the hills to construct the new road so drivers will now be moving through a valley.

"The new four lane road is going to go right through there, so with the additional lanes, the additional width for people to drive on, as well as less risk of having anything fall onto the roadway from above or the road washing out from underneath is going to be safer for everybody," said TJ Gerlach, a spokesperson for ODOT.

Crews still have some finishing touches to complete, like connecting side roads. They expect to be completely done by the end of the year.