Video of the eastern end of the Cherokee Turnpike

[bugo]

Headed eastbound at the end of the Cherokee Turnpike near the Arkansas line.  The video also shows a stretch of the US 59/412 expressway including a scenic section with a wide separation of the carriageways.  Video was taken before I figured out to put a black towel on the dash, so ignore the glare.  Note that the Cherokee Turnpike narrows to one lane before merging into US 59/Scenic 412.  Also note the speed limit slows to 55 through the transition.  The western end is the same way.  And you have to exit off the mainline to get to the turnpike at both ends, and there is a short one-lane section on both ends.  A poor design for sure.  The mainline should be the through route.  And the speed limit shouldn't slow to slower than 70.  Also note how rough US 59/412 is. 

[Chris]

Scenic

Oklahoma is much more than plains, it's more diverse than people think.

[rte66man]

I see that OTA did a dowel bar retrofit on the eastbound lanes. I don't recall the roadbed being that old; but that's a clue to the soil condition in the eastern part of the state. Much of the same problems on I40 between Checotah and Webbers Falls.  Wish I knew some engineering so I could give a better explanation. 

Back to the pike, the history of the road from Tulsa to Siloam Springs is fascinating. OK33 before the creation of US412, it was known as the most unsafe road in OK.  When I would drive to Fayetteville for the annual TU/UA football game, it took well over 3 hours. Very narrow, poor sight lines, etc.  You could buy shirts that said" I Drove 33 and Survived".  Thanks should go to the late Dan Holmes who was a driving force in getting funds allocated to improving the route.

[Scott5114]

The one time I was in the area I cheaped out and did Scenic 412 (old 33)...it's still terrible. One can only imagine how horrible it was clogged with traffic. Probably wouldn't do it again.

ODOT has been doing dowel bars all over the state. Most OKC freeways are (badly) done in concrete, and have had dowel bars added.

[bugo]

The one time I was in the area I cheaped out and did Scenic 412 (old 33)...it's still terrible. One can only imagine how horrible it was clogged with traffic. Probably wouldn't do it again.

On two different occasions I've taken old OK 33 (East Admiral Place) from Tulsa to Chouteau (detouring onto current US 412 to cross the Verdigris River) and the length of Scenic/ALT US 412.  It is a scary road, even with light traffic, and the speed limit is even 55 on the Scenic 412 portion (most OK rural 2 lane highways are signed at 65, even the Talimena Scenic Drive segment of OK 1.)  I can only imagine how bad it was when choked with traffic.  I do wonder if the real reason for the 55 MPH speed limit is political. The parallel Cherokee Turnpike is much better and is even fun with its many curves and 75 MPH speed limit.

[bugo]

Back to the pike, the history of the road from Tulsa to Siloam Springs is fascinating. OK33 before the creation of US412, it was known as the most unsafe road in OK.  When I would drive to Fayetteville for the annual TU/UA football game, it took well over 3 hours. Very narrow, poor sight lines, etc.  You could buy shirts that said" I Drove 33 and Survived".  Thanks should go to the late Dan Holmes who was a driving force in getting funds allocated to improving the route.

I'd like to have a brand new shirt like that.  I wonder if there are any pictures of the shirt?  One could make a replica using a color printer.

Now it takes about 2 hours to get from Tulsa to Fayetteville via US 412 and I-540.

It's a shame that Holmes didn't live to see his highway built.

[rte66man]

Working on finding a shot of the shirt....

Found this in the ODOT archives:
http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/memorial/legal/sh33.htm

Wonder if anyone can see if the road is signed as mentioned.

rte66man

[rte66man]

Couldn't find the shirt, but I did find the bumper sticker:
http://tulsatvmemories.com/gb081001.html

Scroll down about 1/4 of the way.  This is a highly recommended site to browse for everything Tulsa.

rte66man

[bugo]

Couldn't find the shirt, but I did find the bumper sticker:
http://tulsatvmemories.com/gb081001.html

Thanks.  I want to make a T-shirt with that on it.

Scroll down about 1/4 of the way.  This is a highly recommended site to browse for everything Tulsa.

I've been to that site before.  Another good Tulsa site is the Beryl Ford Collection.