Construction has begun on replacing the westbound I-244 Arkansas River bridge with a new structure. The old bridge is in various stages of demolition, with some steel girders still in place on the north end and the old piers remaining on the southern half, although a few of them have been demolished. Work will begin on the new bridge later this year, with completion scheduled for 2013. According to reports, the new bridge will have the same lane capacity as its predecessor, but its substructure will include a pedestrian bridge and a second span that can be utilized for high-speed rail service between Tulsa and Oklahoma City if such a need arises in the future. Traffic presently is two lanes each way on the northbound bridge, and the detour has forced the closure of several ramps in the area, including the westbound lanes of the Broken Arrow Expressway (south leg of the Inner Dispersal Loop) between Houston Avenue and the Southwest Interchange, including the ramps from that roadway to I-244, the 17th Street entrance ramp to eastbound I-244, and the Seventh Street entrance ramp to westbound I-244. The 17th Street exit ramp also is closed, as it is being rebuilt with the new bridge. U.S. 75 also is detoured around the north and west legs of the Inner Dispersal Loop. Numerous temporary orange signs have been installed on approaching freeways alerting motorists to the detours. The old 11th Street bridge can be seen at right (below the eastbound I-244 bridge). Photo taken June 25, 2011.
DEVELOPING TULSA: THE AUSTIN HELLWIG COLLECTION
