ODOT Repairs 21st Street Bridge In Response To Safety Concerns

A bridge at 21st street under the Broken Arrow Expressway is getting a lot of attention after a man posted a photo of it on social media.

The picture also got the attention of ODOT because it showed two different cracks on the bridge column.

The post got more than 4,000 shares in one day. ODOT came out Tuesday to make repairs and said it's better to be safe.

Scott Phillips wrote, “Note to self– Do not drive eastbound on the BA over the 21st street overpass for the foreseeable future," in his now-viral post.

“I’m a mechanical engineer," he said. "We innately look for things that don't look right. I think the light was hitting it in the right way, so I stopped for a few seconds to grab my phone.”

Scott was stopped at the intersection and said he became alarmed when he noticed the cracks. Thousands of people shared his post.

“Ultimately it ended up blowing up, we’re well over 4,000 shares at this point," said Scott.

A little more than 12 hours later, ODOT crews were on it, adding concrete to the crack and making sure it was safe.

“If it needs more immediate repairs we’ll schedule anything we can," said T.J. Gerlach with ODOT.

Gerlach with ODOT said the bridge is scheduled for rehab in 2026 but that project might be pushed up now.

He said the bridge was last reported in fair condition and is inspected every two years.

“Safety is our top priority," he said. "If we had any concern about this area not being safe for the public, we would not allow them to travel over this area.”

Scott said he’s glad the attention made a difference and urges others to speak up.

“People saw this and people are tired and frustrated of seeing their communities crumble," Scott said.

ODOT said if there were any major concern about safety, it would shut down the bridge.