Oklahoma drivers are gearing up for a fresh round of traffic hurdles, with a series of roadworks set to narrow lanes and close ramps across key thoroughfares in the city. According to an Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) advisory, the SH-9W on-ramp to southbound I-35 will be out of commission starting from 9 p.m. Wednesday until 6 a.m. Thursday, and commuters can expect the northbound I-35 to slim down to a single lane near Goldsby and Norman intermittently during night hours for ongoing construction efforts.
The grand affair of roadworks doesn't end there, with significant alterations planned for SH-9W at I-35 near Goldsby that will persevere through 2026 to create a Diverging Diamond Interchange while I-35 will see expansions; drivers should anticipate refined merge areas and adjustments in traffic flow, in addition to the closure of N.W. 12th Ave that serves as a current access point to southbound I-35, with rerouted service roads and new roundabouts on the horizon. Other options such as US-77 and I-44 may offer some respite for those seeking alternate routes. SH-9's embrace with the one-lane bottleneck commences at 12th Ave. S.E. in Norman Thursday morning, extending through August to accommodate bridge repairs.
The interim configurations do not stop there, with Edmond's I-35 section marching to a single lane from Memorial Rd. to US-77/2nd St., the procession of headlights threading through the night from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. until Friday's dawn; likewise, I-35 will see sections intermittently narrow and some ramps close between Memorial Rd. and US-77/2nd St. through the forthcoming summer of 2025, all in the name of resurfacing, bridge work, and frontage road conversions. Meanwhile, the usual welcoming stretch of I-44 will retreat to one lane at SH-37/S.W. 134th St. during nocturnal hours, enduring the indignities of closure across SH-37/S.W. 134th St. over I-44 through August for indispensable bridge repairs.
Drivers destined for far-flung locales along I-40 between Meridian Ave. and May Ave., as well as Douglas Blvd. in Midwest City, can buckle up for narrowed lanes and intermittent ramp closures extending into the autumnal embrace of 2025, with recommendations to utilize I-240 and US-62/N. 23rd St. as possible detours as lane comfort shrinks, ramps bid farewell, and congestion becomes the norm, particularly at choke points like the new protected turnaround at Town Centre and the eastbound I-40 on-ramp from Industrial Blvd. that remains permanently closed, now subject to the relentless march of construction endeavors.
With the state's commitment to upgrade infrastructure, including a multi-phase improvement project constricting I-240 near I-35 and a bridge reconstruction squeezing the life out of traffic flow near N. 63rd St., motorists can expect the usual symphony of congestion and travel delays as the dance of construction and rehabilitation continues through 2025, these disruptions joined by several other projects across the cityscape, such as SH-66 and US-81 in El Reno, SH-152 near Union City, and Garth Brooks Blvd. at I-40 in Yukon, transforming the face, and pace, of local travel for months to come.
