Eighty-First Street has been widened to five lanes between Harvard Avenue and Oral Roberts University, which has eliminated a major traffic bottleneck in south Tulsa. The project began in March 2007 with the excavation of the hill at Delaware Avenue. The roadway then was widened and opened in the summer, although finishing touches weren't completed until later that year. The new street is five lanes of asphalt with a concrete curb and gutter. The Delaware Avenue intersection is concrete with retaining walls on the southeast corner. The project included rebuilding a section of 81st Street between Harvard and Florence avenues that was built in 1987. The roadway had deteriorated and was somewhat of a "washboard" to drive on. Delaware Avenue was widened to two lanes (asphalt with concrete curb/gutter) between 81st and 83rd streets. The new lanes are in the southbound alignment at 81st Street anbd then shift into the previous alignment south of the intersection. There is concrete in place that eventually will connect to Delaware Avenue's northbound lanes when that roadway someday is widened. A new traffic signal was installed at Delaware Avenue, and there are no right-turn arrows. The widening was funded by the 2001 and 2006 sales tax packages. Photograph taken October24, 2007.
