News 6: Posted:
Oct 11, 2009 8:58 PM
Updated:
Oct 12, 2009 2:48 PM
"And now it's time to go in and connect the pieces, and that's
going to have to happen right underneath Peoria. So we have to keep
traffic off while we do that," said ODOT Spokesperson Kenna Mitchell.
By Tara Vreeland, The News On 6
TULSA,
OK -- A Tulsa street which intersects with I-44 has been closed to
traffic. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation reports all lanes of
north and southbound Peoria Avenue will remain closed at the I-44
junction for about three months.
"It's going to be a lot of
extra time and hassle, because I'll have to go find a different route,"
said Chris Sorrels, a Tulsa driver.
ODOT has set up detours around the construction.
"If
I miss Lewis, I better hit Riverside, because if I don't hit Riverside,
I gotta go way across the bridge," said Montez Reed, a Tulsa resident.
The reason for the closure is because crews are working on a drainage structure on the north side of I-44.
9/29/2009 Related Story: Massive Drainage Ditch Under Construction On I-44 In Tulsa
"And
now it's time to go in and connect the pieces, and that's going to have
to happen right underneath Peoria. So we have to keep traffic off while
we do that," said ODOT Spokesperson Kenna Mitchell.
ODOT
reports the structure is a key piece of the I-44 Riverside Drive to
Yale Avenue widening project. It's more than 20 feet underground and
more than 40 feet wide.
"And in fact, there are some points
where you can fit three semis side by side and drive down it, so it's a
massive structure, and we have to connect the pieces that are on either
side of Peoria right now, and we have to do that underneath Peoria,"
said Kenna Mitchell.
"You just have to find a different way,
you know. For growth, for things to get better, sometimes you have to
sacrifice," said Chris Sorrels, a Tulsa driver.
It's an inconvenience now, but an improvement down the road.
"It's
just going to be a big hassle, but in the long run, once they get 44
widened, it'll be better for everybody," said Chris Sorrels, a Tulsa
driver.
Daily lane and ramp closures are noted in the traffic advisories section of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation web site.
10/9/2009 Related Story: Peoria Avenue At I-44 To Close Monday In Tulsa Construction
Enlarge this picture
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation reports all lanes of
north and southbound Peoria Avenue will be closed at the I-44 junction
for about three months.
Enlarge this picture
The reason for the closure is because crews are working on a drainage structure on the north side of I-44.
Posted on
Mon, October 12, 2009
by Crystal Drwenski