TULSA, Okla. — Construction crews started work on a Tulsa bridge where two bikers have lost their lives since New Year’s Eve. Some drivers say it’s been a problem for years.
“Well, I’m glad they started,” said Harry Maddox.
Maddox has lived in Tulsa only about a year, but drives the US-169 northbound ramp onto I-244 westbound nearly every day.
“That road is dangerous,” said Maddox. “It’ll tear your car up.”
He says the bumpy road makes for a difficult drive and in the elements it’s even worse.
“When ice is on the road or it’s raining, you can’t see those potholes until you hit them,” Maddox said.
Contractors for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation started work on the ramp Monday morning. There are cones in place limiting the drive to one outside lane. It’s a stretch of road many Tulsans have wanted to see fixed up, especially since two bikers have died on the bridge since New Year’s Eve.
Kelley Stokes died on her trike back in February, after witnesses say she hit a rough patch on the road.
Mark Calcut Jr. lost his life on New Year’s Eve just days after getting engaged.
ODOT says the project will replace the ramp on a new alignment adjacent to the current ramp. Work should be finished next spring. In the meantime, crews will resurface the road this week to improve driving conditions until the new bridge is finished. They’re narrowing traffic to one lane until 6 a.m. March 13 for this work.
“I don’t know how long it’s going to take, but at least they’re working in it. That’s a good sign,” Maddox said.
It’s a $19 million project that was approved in September 2022. Manhattan Road and Bridge Company will complete the work. While construction is underway, crews are urging drivers to use even more caution. Drivers like Maddox say it’s a good thing.
“The way the road is slower is better so you won’t be hitting those unexpected potholes,” he said.
ODOT says the bridge is considered functionally obsolete and at risk of becoming structurally deficient.
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