Until 1977, the 61st Street and Peoria Avenue intersection had a traffic signal consisting of four mast arms with two traffic signals on each arm, plus a signal on the pole in place of the pedestrian lights. In February 1977, these signals were removed, and a traffic signal with the restricted left-turn signal was installed for Peoria Avenue, along with right-turn arrows on 61st Street. The westbound right-turn arrows were deleted when the yield system was installed in 1981, and the eastbound-right signal was replaced in early April 1982 after the original signal blew off the mast arm and crashed into the street below during a high wind. Traffic flow improved at the intersection following the opening of Riverside Drive to 71st Street in 1987, as Riverside originally ended at 61st Street, and all motorists were forced to travel 61st Street to at least Peoria Avenue to travel south. Peak-hour traffic on 61st Street still congests to some degree, but it usually clears without too much trouble now. The intersection is a candidate to be widened, but no work is planned at this time. S.H. 117 presently travels Peoria Avenue between I-44 and 71st Street and then follows 71st Street to U.S. 75 and south to 121st Street, where it travels west to Sapulpa. The routing became effective when the 71st Street bridge opened in December 1983. The Taco Mayo previously was a Dairy Queen. Photo taken June 1986.
