I-244/23rd St. Bridge Rehabilitation Project Begins in Tulsa Tuesday

The project below is weather permitting:

first-phase-detour-i-244-23rd-st_crop

I-244/23rd St. bridge rehabilitation project begins in Tulsa Tuesday

A nearly $20 million bridge rehabilitation project is scheduled to begin Tuesday, May 31 on the 23rd St. bridge over I-244. This work will impact traffic on the 23rd St. bridge until early 2018 and drivers should plan ahead to adjust their route.

This bridge goes over both I-244 and an adjacent rail yard. It has been hit four times in the past two years due to train derailments. The project will make critical safety improvements including construction of a crash wall and will reconfigure three spans of the bridge. There will also be repairs to the substructure and the bridge deck will be replaced.

The first phase of work will close the 23rd St. bridge to traffic starting at 6 a.m. Tuesday. The westbound I-244 off-ramp to 23rd St. will remain open during this phase, which is expected to take up to four months to complete. Subsequent phasing will allow for traffic on the bridge in a narrowed configuration.

The Department recognizes this is one of the few access points for the area and has been working closely with the City of Tulsa and nearby businesses over the past few months to identify a route which can handle the expected detour traffic. Drivers will be able to use 21st St. South, 57th W. Ave., I-44 and US-75 during the main closure of the bridge. A map showing the detour route for the first phase of work is attached.

A separate $1.7 million project began in May to construct a retaining wall along the adjacent rail yard in this corridor, which is also impacting traffic on westbound I-244 in this area. Drivers can expect delays throughout these projects, especially during peak travel times, and should plan ahead for extra travel time or consider an alternate route if possible.

Lane closures will be announced in the Traffic Advisories section of www.odot.org as they are scheduled throughout the project. Drivers can sign up to receive the daily traffic advisories by clicking the “Sign Up For News & Alerts” link on the main page of this website.

Leave a Reply