Cherokee Curve (eastern I-44/OK 66 split) in Catoosa, OK

[Jim920]

Why was that portion of I-44 moved and abandoned?

[NE2]

Why was that portion of I-44 moved and abandoned?

To give one four-way interchange at the new Creek Turnpike.

[Jim920]

Why was that portion of I-44 moved and abandoned?

To give one four-way interchange at the new Creek Turnpike.

How long ago was it closed?  I was looking at it on Google, seems like its been a while.  I noticed there are still BGS's and light posts!

[Scott5114]

I think it was around 2002 or so, when the adjoining section of the Creek Turnpike was built.

[bugo]

The Creek Turnpike is longer than staying on I-44 because it swings to the south to bypass Broken Arrow.  I would imagine that the travel times are close.

I have heard that the Creek is an unnumbered Interstate.  Is this true?

[Scott5114]

As far as I know it's not. It may be on the NHS or a similar system, however, which may have gotten someone's wires crossed.

As an out-of-towner, even if the Creek is a few minutes longer, I'd say it's worth the money if you can spare it since you don't have to deal with the asinine design features of Skelly Drive and the resulting moron maneuvers from drivers.

[bugo]

It shouldn't default you on the toll road, even if you're coming off a toll road.  The through interstate should remain on the through lanes.

[Scott5114]

It's just defaulting you onto the bypass to try to get as many people off Skelly Drive as it can. There wouldn't be an issue if this were, say, I-644 instead of the Creek Turnpike.

[rte66man]

It shouldn't default you on the toll road, even if you're coming off a toll road.  The through interstate should remain on the through lanes.

Shocking as it may be, I agree with Bugo on this. Oklahoma seems to be really bad with these situations.  It is repeated at the western end of the Turner where an unwary motorist will end up on the Kilpatrick instead of 35/44.

However the cost of building the 412/44 interchange where the lanes for 44 were the through lanes would have been prohibitive.

[bugo]

They could have rebuilt Cherokee Curve into a Y interchange and made the 412/Creek interchange a regular cloverleaf.

[rte66man]

They could have rebuilt Cherokee Curve into a Y interchange and made the 412/Creek interchange a regular cloverleaf.

And the interchange with the Will Rogers and the Creek for a total of 3 new interchanges.  Too much cost for ODOT and OTA to buy off on it. Besides, the Cherokee Curve was too close to the 193rd St exit to just be a simple Y.

[Brandon]

It shouldn't default you on the toll road, even if you're coming off a toll road.  The through interstate should remain on the through lanes.

It should?

Got a few non-Oklahoma examples here:

*Tri-State Tollway at I-80.  I-80 exits while the Tri-State (I-294) is the through lanes.
*Edens Expressway at I-94.  I-94 exits while the Edens (US-41) is the through lanes.
*East-West Tollway at I-290.  I-88 (E-W Twy) is a left exit while I-290 exits to the right.
*I-355 at I-290.  I-355 (North-South Tollway) is a left exit with more lanes than the I-290 ramp to the right.

Any idiot paying attention to the signage will get into the correct lane ahead of time.  Anything else is just whining about nothing.

[NE2]

I-90 east approaching Albany. If you're coming from I-88 there's no toll to exit the Thruway at I-90, but the through lanes continue on the Thruway (I-87 south).

[yakra]

Meh, thru lanes in name only, what with the lanes on the left being signed as a left exit.