Completeing the Gilcrease Hills expressway

[SXSW]

Building the five-mile, four-lane extension would leave only the stretch from Edison Street to the Tisdale Expressway to be completed in northwest Tulsa.

This seems like it would be a challenging stretch to build with the terrain in that area.  What are the odds this part doesn't get built?

[Conan71]

So is this just this leg and doesn't include connecting it to the existing highway north of 412?

I'm failing to see the cost benefit of this, even for W. 21st st. industry.  I-244 ostensibly was aligned the way it was with its exits to help link those businesses as well as the rail yards to the Interstate system.   

[ELG4America]

I would argue that the long term benefit of completing this loop is pushing traffic out from our city center. The more we can loop pass-through traffic around the edges of the city the more likely we can eventually reclaim land in our city center for development.

[Rattle Trap]

I would argue that the long term benefit of completing this loop is pushing traffic out from our city center. The more we can loop pass-through traffic around the edges of the city the more likely we can eventually reclaim land in our city center for development.

I mostly agree. I see the criticism that there is no real need for this to be done now, given the part of town it's in, but city planning is about preparing for future growth and staying ahead of the problems, right? The city and state needs to be proactive rather than reactive to the increasing traffic in our cities.

I grew up in Owasso, graduated high school there, and am moving back post college. I've seen the town grow from a population of 10k-15k, to pushing 40k now. The main roads the town is centered are all behind the times and should have been expanded at least a decade ago. For some reason they decided to only expand 169 up to bird creek, which solved literally nothing in regards to traffic coming into town. We probably won't see a real 169 expansion for at least another decade.

I also think of OKC's current state in that there apparently was no thought put in to highway expansions over their last 20 years of growth they've seen. Now they have a huge back log of road projects and terrible traffic for a metro of "only" 1.5 million.

A good example of something proactive being done is the expansion of Turner Turnpike. We don't necessarily NEED it to be 6 lanes right now, but by the time they expand the entire stretch from Tulsa to OKC, we probably will. Or maybe they just want a reason to hike the toll again...who knows.

I guess my point is that I'm good with doing this project before we....really need it? lol

[patric]

A good example of something proactive being done is the expansion of Turner Turnpike. We don't necessarily NEED it to be 6 lanes right now, but by the time they expand the entire stretch from Tulsa to OKC, we probably will. Or maybe they just want a reason to hike the toll again...who knows.

We wouldnt know what to do with a toll hike that wasnt backdoor funding for the Department of Public Safety.

So when does motor vehicle use plateau?  Probably not for a long time, but at some point in our lifetimes we are likely to come to the conclusion we have too many 6-8-12-lane roads.

[brettakins]

https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/contract-awarded-for-gilcrease-expressway-west-loop-work-to-start/article_83e162e6-a63f-51c2-bcec-9f044964607b.html

OKLAHOMA City — The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority on Tuesday set in motion a nearly $261 million project for construction on the west loop of the Gilcrease Expressway.


The contract was awarded to a partnership involving AECOM, an engineering and construction firm based in Los Angeles, and Duit Construction Co., based in Edmond.


Work is expected to start by the end of the year, said Jack Damrill, an OTA spokesman


It is expected to be finished in February 2022, said Tim Gatz, OTA director and transportation secretary.


The toll road will include a bridge over the Arkansas River.


The project consists of construction of a new, four-lane highway beginning where the existing Gilcrease Expressway connects to Interstate 44 just south of West 51st Street South and ends just north of U.S. 412 at Edison Street.


It is part of the Driving Forward program, a turnpike expansion and improvement initiative for six roads.


"I look forward to getting the project under construction," Gatz said.

[heironymouspasparagus]

I mostly agree. I see the criticism that there is no real need for this to be done now, given the part of town it's in, but city planning is about preparing for future growth and staying ahead of the problems, right? The city and state needs to be proactive rather than reactive to the increasing traffic in our cities.


A good example of something proactive being done is the expansion of Turner Turnpike. We don't necessarily NEED it to be 6 lanes right now, but by the time they expand the entire stretch from Tulsa to OKC, we probably will. Or maybe they just want a reason to hike the toll again...who knows.

I guess my point is that I'm good with doing this project before we....really need it? lol

Sorry I missed this months ago...

The Turner should have been 6 lane all the way for over 25 years!  I have driven that mess regularly for the last 14 years - on the order of 8 - 10 trips a week.  It is ridiculous.  If we continue to refuse to make a high speed train option, fix that stinkin' sorry a$$ road for real !    And not just slobbering on 2" of new assfault every 3 years!

The wide section is good, just too much asphalt and too short.

[brettakins]

[shavethewhales]

Glad they are finally starting. If nothing else, it's nice to have the construction activity and investment here in Tulsa. OTA is also about to start on the next phase of Turner expansion next summer. It will involve a big change up of the HWY66/Turnpike entrance area next to Oakhurst.

[brettakins]

https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/officials-break-ground-on-west-leg-of-gilcrease-expressway/article_258e6f99-4b3a-575a-8d2b-ccb569c968b5.html

After more than 50 years of maybes, somedays and possibilities, the west leg of the Gilcrease Expressway took a giant step toward reality at a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday morning.

At the corner of 56th West Avenue and 21st Street, Gov. Kevin Stitt, Mayor G.T. Bynum and County Commissioner Karen Keith gathered with other local and state officials to commemorate the final leg of the expressway first envisioned in 1961.

Bynum thanked former Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation Gary Ridley for his work on getting the project started. He said the new highway will open new opportunities for parts of Tulsa left out of economic growth elsewhere in the city.

"Knowing that both north Tulsa and west Tulsa for so many years took a back seat to the rest of the city when it came to economic development," Bynum said. "There are so many people who kept pushing to continue, year by year incrementally assembling funding needed for the land to build this expressway.

"Now here we are, in position where this thing is going to be built over the next three years, and it is going to unlock the economies in north Tulsa and west Tulsa in a way they've never been before."

Tim Duit, with Edmond-based Duit Construction, said construction on the $261 million project will begin in earnest in January after the holidays. With good weather, the expressway should open in March 2022.

Complete with shovels and Oklahoma Turnpike Authority hardhats, officials broke ground just south of 21st Street.

Stitt said the project stands to spur further growth in the Tulsa area and demonstrate the state's economic strength.

"I'm just so excited to showcase our state and our city with this new expressway," Stitt said.

"This is going to be fantastic. When you think about this route, the economic development, I'm just so excited for that. We're going to recruit more companies here. It's going to alleviate a lot of the traffic issues."

The west leg will connect the leg spanning north Tulsa to 51st Street near the I-44/I-244 western split in west Tulsa. It will include multiple bridges, including over Charles Page Boulevard and the Arkansas River west of downtown.

Keith — whom Bynum called "the patron saint of long term causes in our community, and she always ends up being right" — said she's ecstatic that the expressway is no longer a shelved plan for the future.

"We all know too well how important this new transportation link is," Keith said. "Gilcrease is a safety valve, an additional and much-needed connection for first responders, and a less congested route for Chandler Park, west Tulsa and Sand Springs."

[brettakins]

March 5th update

[SXSW]

That will be a great skyline viewpoint looking east going northbound on the new bridge.

[brettakins]

https://tulsaworld.com/news/gilcrease-expressway-extension-72-complete-ota-official-says/article_a3964672-1fc3-11ec-aba4-833640c77cd2.html

The Gilcrease Expressway extension is 72% complete, Oklahoma Turnpike Authority Deputy Director Joe Echelle said Monday following a meeting of the authority's board.
The project consists of five miles of new four-lane toll road beginning where the existing Gilcrease Expressway connects to Interstate 44 just south of West 51st Street and ends just north of U.S. 412 at Edison Street. It will provide for a new route across the Arkansas River west of downtown Tulsa.

The $336 million stretch of road is expected to be opened in May or June 2022, Echelle said.
The roadway is part of the Driving Forward program, an expansion and improvement initiative for six turnpikes announced during former Gov. Mary Fallin's administration.

The entire Driving Forward initiative is 96% complete, Echelle said

[SXSW]

Is there a plan to complete the loop from Edison to 41st W Ave?  I think it would roughly follow 57th W Ave and 53rd W Ave north then head back northeast to join up with the existing highway at 41st W Ave

Interested to hear more about the new trails that are part of this project.  I assume this connects to the Katy trail north of the river then goes across the bridge.  My hope is that the river trail eventually gets extended past I-44 along the south bank and then connects to this bridge so you can do a loop using that trail and the Katy trail

[brettakins]

https://www.newson6.com/story/61675af75030520c10a636c5/skynews-6-video:-progress-on-gilcrease-expressway-extension-project-?fbclid=IwAR2MMExxN1xPgj4jdbA7ZSwz3ULxt3VeyQH3M0HNk2uas67hsXtCiAGMaWA

TULSA, Oklahoma - Construction crews are making progress on the Gilcrease Expressway extension that will connect Highway 412 with I-44.
News On 6 has been following this project for a few years now and has seen major progress over that time. The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority said the five-mile stretch is expected to relieve congestion during peak travel times from Interstate 244 and Highway 97.

The Gilcrease Expressway Extension will connect Highway 412 and, ultimately, the Tisdale with I-44 on the west side of town.

The bridge being built over the Arkansas River will cross at 57th West Avenue, and this project will cost around $330 million.

The project was started late in 2019 and Turnpike Authority Leaders expect the highway to be open by November of 2022.