Local, State Briefs: Roadwork to shift traffic on I-44 river bridge
Tulsa World
By Staff Reports
Published: 8/23/2011 2:29 AM
Last Modified: 8/23/2011 3:17 AM
Eastbound lanes on the Interstate 44 bridge over the Arkansas River will close for construction starting at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Eastbound traffic will be shifted to the westbound lanes, which will carry two lanes of traffic in each direction, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation said in a news release.
The closure is part of a long-term project to widen I-44 from four to six lanes, said Kenna Mitchell, ODOT spokeswoman.
The eastbound entrance ramp from Riverside Drive will be closed during the construction, and the Riverside Drive exit ramp will be closed permanently, she said.
The ramp closures are part of safety improvements between Riverside Drive and Peoria Avenue, a half-mile stretch that previously contained six entrance and exit ramps, Mitchell said. Dedicated entrance and exit lanes at Peoria are being added.
The Riverside-Peoria corridor reconstruction is a $40 million subproject of the $360 million I-44 expansion between Riverside Drive and Yale Avenue, Mitchell said. The project includes new bridges at Harvard, Lewis and Peoria avenues.
ODOT is recommending that drivers seek alternate routes through the area when possible or allow for extra travel time.
- AMANDA BLAND, World Staff Writer
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Tue, August 23, 2011
by John Cox