On the first Monday of 2026, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation began an 11-month construction job at a bridge on Highway 75 that will narrow traffic to one lane in both directions.
If your New Year’s resolution is to avoid sitting in traffic, here are some detour options to bypass the $4 million project on your daily commute into Tulsa.
The impacted stretch on Highway 75 is between the Creek Turnpike and West 96th Street South, said ODOT spokesperson T.J. Gerlach.
After Monday morning rush hour, ODOT closed inside lanes, shifting traffic to outside lanes while crossovers are built.
“It will take them a month or two to build that crossover,” Gerlach said.
After crossovers are built, ODOT will eventually narrow traffic to one lane in each direction on one bridge to replace the deck on the other bridge.
Heading northbound?
To avoid construction and traffic, motorists heading north toward Tulsa can take the Creek Turnpike west before exiting onto Interstate 44 northbound.
Alternatively, drivers can exit Highway 75 eastbound onto West 121st Street South in Glenpool, head north on South Elwood Avenue, then drive west at West 96th Street South until they run back into Highway 75.
Heading southbound?
Motorists traveling south on Highway 75 from downtown can take the westbound I-44 exit, then hop on the Creek Turnpike eastbound to skip the construction.
Gerlach says the project will cost just under 4 million — a little less than the initial $4.13 million estimate.
Gerlach says construction is expected to finish at the end of November. The contractor will receive a bonus for each day they finish the project early, up to 30 days.
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