Tulsa residents and commuters are bracing for traffic disruptions as the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) moves forward with a series of highway construction projects slated to affect travel times significantly. Of immediate concern is the narrowing of SH-51/Broken Arrow Expwy between Memorial Dr. and US-169 started from 7 p.m. last night to 6 a.m. today, as ODOT engages in an ongoing lighting project. This development will see a closure of the two left lanes of westbound SH-51 and the left lane on the eastbound side.
Additional closures include the southbound US-75 off-ramp to 1st St., with barriers set from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today as part of an additional project. Moreover, ODOT has announced that eastbound I-244 will be narrowed to one lane near the US-75 junction, continuing through the entirety of October 2025 to facilitate bridge rehabilitation. Local divers should expect delays, and where possible, seek alternate routes to minimize congestion and travel interruptions.
For those traveling near the interchange of I-44 and US-75, a major interchange improvement project that continues through summer 2028 has necessitated significant closures. "The east and westbound I-44 ramps to northbound US-75 are closed," states ODOT. Detours have been put in place, directing drivers to use eastbound I-244 to northbound US-75. The southbound US-75 ramp to both directions of I-44 also faces closures with suggested detours via westbound I-244.
Not to be overlooked, the I-44, SH-66 interchange improvement project in Catoosa, set to continue through 2026, requires lane closures and narrowed lanes on east and westbound I-44, SH-66, with efforts being made to maintain two lanes of traffic in both directions during peak hours. Along with these, US-75's narrow lanes between 56th St. N. and 66th St. N. are set for bridge rehabilitation projects through summer 2026, while SH-97 undergoes pavement rehabilitation in Sand Springs through November 2025, aiming to maintain two lanes of traffic during this time.
Drivers on US-75 should also be alert to narrowed and shifted lanes at 141st St. in Glenpool due to bridge construction set to last until October 2025. The same goes for the bridge replacement project on SH-66 near Catoosa at the Bird Creek bridge, where lanes are reduced to one in each direction until early 2026.
