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Turner Turnpike widening project

Started by bugo, July 15, 2018, 11:26:38 PM

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bugo

I went to Oklahoma City in July 14 to see the Smashing Pumpkins. I noticed that a long stretch of the Turner Turnpike (I-44) is being widened and rebuilt from near Kellyville to mile marker 203. This road is going to be very wide but on the same footprint as the current turnpike. It looks wide enough to fit 8 lanes. It's a single carriageway with a Jersey barrier in the middle. I knew there was construction along that stretch but I had no idea how long the six lane stretch will be. I was surprised at the magnitude of the project. It will be very nice when it is 6 lanes all the way from Tulsa to Oklahoma City. This is a major project.

Nexus 5X



Plutonic Panda

Part of Driving Forward and unfortunately not going to be 8 lanes or stretch even the small six lane segment to OKC. But it should, IMO. The project is going to be constructed with the future additions of truck specific lanes in mind.

Bobby5280

I drove through the project area this past weekend. It's pretty nice how wide they're making the ROW, giving room for the road to be expanded to 4 lanes in each direction or even have separate cars-only lanes. I can understand why they're limiting the expansion to 3 lanes per direction for now. Very little of the I-44 expansion within Tulsa has gone over 3 lanes per direction. There's still a few old, ratty sections of highway there.

I-44 between OKC and Tulsa definitely needs to be at least 3 lanes per direction rather than its dinky 4-lane configuration. I would even go so far to say that I-44 should be expanded the same way clear up to the Missouri border and beyond due to what US-69 feeds into I-44 at Big Cabin. There is a ridiculous amount of truck traffic on that highway. Trucks pose their own hazards. I had a close call with a tire recap flying out from under the back of a semi. I was pretty pissed about it since I'm driving a brand new pickup truck. Thankfully the front end didn't suffer any damage. The tire tread just went under the vehicle. There was a lady right behind me riding a Harley. She could have been in big trouble if my pickup hadn't been there to provide some kind of a shield. I couldn't swerve much to avoid the tire tread since we were fairly boxed in with traffic.

rte66man

really BIG bump

taken September 6. All are eastbound.

At start of widening project just west of the OK66 bridge near Heyburn.


All bridges and overpasses are built for future expansion to 8 lanes.


Approaching the location of the old westbound Heyburn service area.


Near Kellyville.


Just past the Kellyville exit. The OK97 Sapulpa exit is in the far distance at the top of the ridge.
When you come to a fork in the road... TAKE IT.

                                                               -Yogi Berra

Plutonic Panda

It will be REALLY nice when it's like this all the way to OKC with lighting.

rte66man

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on September 07, 2020, 05:34:19 PM
It will be REALLY nice when it's like this all the way to OKC with lighting.

Probably not anytime soon. IIRC this 10 mile stretch cost well over $100 million because it was essentially tearing everything down to the ground and starting over.  Extrapolated to the 66 miles from there to OKC you would be talking about $700 million.  OTA doesn't have that much bonding authority and won't for quite a while at least until this, the Kickapoo, and the SW Kilpatrick are paid down.
When you come to a fork in the road... TAKE IT.

                                                               -Yogi Berra

In_Correct

I shall drive it regularly. Toll Roads are beautiful.
Drive Safely. :sombrero: Ride Safely. And Build More Roads, Rails, And Bridges. :coffee: ... Boulevards Wear Faster Than Interstates.



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