AARoads Forum

Regional Boards => Central States => Topic started by: bugo on February 24, 2013, 05:37:13 PM

Title: Riverside Freeway (tulsa)
Post by: bugo on February 24, 2013, 05:37:13 PM
Does anybody have any information on this unbuilt highway?  Google is not very helpful.
Title: Re: Riverside Freeway (tulsa)
Post by: rte66man on February 26, 2013, 12:54:57 PM
Quote from: Stalin on February 24, 2013, 05:37:13 PM
Does anybody have any information on this unbuilt highway?  Google is not very helpful.

What do you want to know?  It was on the plans since the 50's, was stopped by the NIMBY's in the 60's and would be impossible to build today.

It would have gone south from the SE interchange of the Inner Dispersal Loop along the abandoned ROW of the Midland Valley RR to meet Riverside Dr just north of 31st St. It would have then overlaid Riverside Dr south to 96th, where it would have turned east (today's Creek Turnpike).

rte66man
Title: Re: Riverside Freeway (tulsa)
Post by: bugo on February 26, 2013, 02:37:43 PM
Was a route number selected for it?  Would it have had a full interchange with Skelly Drive?
Title: Re: Riverside Freeway (tulsa)
Post by: rte66man on February 27, 2013, 09:26:51 AM
Quote from: Stalin on February 26, 2013, 02:37:43 PM
Was a route number selected for it?  Would it have had a full interchange with Skelly Drive?

I don't recall a route # ever being mentioned.  The few designs I saw had a parclo at Skelly Dr, but the detail was very limited.

rte66man
Title: Re: Riverside Freeway (tulsa)
Post by: rte66man on February 27, 2013, 09:36:27 AM
I found this:
http://www.batesline.com/archives/2009/09/betsy-horowitz-naysayer.html

which had a link to this:
http://opac.tulsalibrary.org/search~S27?/Ytulsa+and+expressway&searchscope=27&SORT=D/Ytulsa+and+expressway&searchscope=27&SORT=D&SUBKEY=tulsa%20and%20expressway/1%2C26%2C26%2CE/frameset&FF=Ytulsa+and+expressway&searchscope=27&SORT=D&2%2C2%2C

Anyone who live in or near Tulsa want to go look this up?

rte66man
Title: Re: Riverside Freeway (tulsa)
Post by: NE2 on February 27, 2013, 01:13:21 PM
Google's more helpful if you search for Riverside Expressway.
Title: Re: Riverside Freeway (tulsa)
Post by: rte66man on February 27, 2013, 03:48:30 PM
Quote from: NE2 on February 27, 2013, 01:13:21 PM
Google's more helpful if you search for Riverside Expressway.

"Riverside Expressway"
"Maple Ridge Neighborhood Association"
"1960's Tulsa Freeways"

rte66man
Title: Re: Riverside Freeway (tulsa)
Post by: Alex on February 28, 2013, 11:00:39 AM
From a 1969 Tulsa map in my collection:

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/central/riverside_expwy_tulsa.jpg)

Thanks to Justin C, I uploaded the scan of the entire fold map [34.8MB] (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/central/tulsa_1969.jpg) for anyone interested.

Title: Re: Riverside Freeway (tulsa)
Post by: bugo on February 28, 2013, 02:04:26 PM
I'm usually close to 100% pro freeway, but this is the rare one that I'm glad didn't get built.   It would have made it easier for me to get downtown, but I can still be there in 10 minutes using the 4 lane surface street Riverside Drive, which follows much of the proposed Riverside Freeway/Expressway alignment. 
Title: Re: Riverside Freeway (tulsa)
Post by: Mr Downtown on February 28, 2013, 09:23:01 PM
I did a lot of original research on the Riverside Expressway when I was a TU student in the 1970s, and even interviewed Mrs. Horowitz at one point.  I'm happy to look through my files if there are specific questions.

Here's a map copied long ago from the Tulsa Tribune 30 July 1968.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FPZ6sQX1.jpg&hash=a13d978d7d398af8560a274e2782e5ce6863f668)
Title: Re: Riverside Freeway (tulsa)
Post by: bugo on March 01, 2013, 12:18:38 AM
Thanks for the maps!
Title: Re: Riverside Freeway (tulsa)
Post by: rte66man on March 01, 2013, 08:15:46 AM
Quote from: Mr Downtown on February 28, 2013, 09:23:01 PM
I did a lot of original research on the Riverside Expressway when I was a TU student in the 1970s,...

I was a TU undergrad from 77 - 81.  Campus is WAY different these days.

I too am glad it didn't get built.  River Parks would not exist today and a beautiful neighborhood (Maple Ridge) that has a great tradition would have been ruined.

rte66man