For several years in south Tulsa, two widened sections of 61st Street were separated by a one-mile section that was two lanes. The one-mile section was between Sheridan Road and Memorial Drive and often congested in the afternoon. That changed in 1999 when work began on a project to widen the section through a project funded by the 1991 sales tax. The street was widened to five lanes from Memorial Drive to 70th East Avenue and four lanes from there to just east of Sheridan Road, with most of the four-lane section being on Shadow Mountain. The project included lowering the hill and building concrete retaining walls to stabilize the slopes. The traffic signal at 76th East Avenue was replaced with a new signal that includes left-turn arrows on 61st Street. An eastbound right-turn lane was installed at 61st Street and Memorial Drive, which now gives the intersection four right-turn lanes. This view is looking east on 61st Street from Shadow Mountain. Photograph taken August3, 2003.
