In Claremore, a significant update to local infrastructure has been completed, marked by ribbon-cutting festivities for the new SH-20 bridge, which signifies the culmination of a major road realignment and interchange project. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT), along with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA), Rogers County, and city officials, celebrated the occasion yesterday, according to an ODOT announcement.
The newly constructed bridge soars over SH-66, offering a unique homage to the historic Route 66 with specially designed features reminiscent of the famed thoroughfare. The broader project, which carries a $64 million price tag, sees SH-20 expanded to five lanes between US-169 in Owasso and SH-66 in Claremore, and adds a new interchange with the I-44/Will Rogers Turnpike at Flint Road. "This tremendously collaborative effort between the City of Claremore, Rogers County, the Turnpike Authority and ODOT has led to an improved highway that will be much safer for drivers and easier for the state to maintain," ODOT's executive director, Tim Gatz, told the publication.
The project also features the opening of a new interchange on the I-44/Will Rogers Turnpike at Flint Road, which OTA's Executive Director Joe Echelle indicates has already seen substantial use. "We've seen right at 50,000 cars get on and off the new Flint Road interchange at I-44/Will Rogers Turnpike in the month since it opened," Echelle told the same publication. He further highlights the benefits brought forth by the cashless turnpike system, which facilitated the construction of this new community connection.
Further work on the project is expected to continue over the coming weeks with drivers advised to maintain caution around the construction personnel. The old route of the highway is also set to be resurfaced before it falls under the maintenance purview of the local county and city. Claremore City Manager John Feary expressed his community's pride and gratitude for the state’s investment, which he believes will "ease congestion, enhance safety and support continued growth across the region," according to the statement released.
This transportation overhaul began in March 2023 and serves as the lynchpin for a two-decade effort to augment the SH-20 corridor between Owasso and Claremore. It replaces a narrower two-lane highway, enhancing the transportation options, and upping the ante on safety for the motorists of Rogers County.
