By Paige Orr, Fox23 News
TULSA, Okla. — Drivers in midtown are navigating a new sea of orange cones on Monday as the City of Tulsa officially breaks ground on a massive $3.5 million infrastructure overhaul along East 21st Street.
The project, stretching from Riverside Drive to South Peoria Avenue, aims to replace a critical 16-inch water line that’s been underground since 1939.
While the modernization is a priority for city engineers, the immediate impact was felt by commuters on Monday morning.
Though the corridor appeared clear at 11:00 a.m., rows of orange barrels were staged and active within thirty minutes, significantly complicating the route for those heading toward the Arkansas River or the Gathering Place.
Each phase is expected to last approximately 70 days.
“To minimize the traffic disruption on 21st, the contractor has kind of split this up in three phases,” White explained. “These three phases split this up almost in equal thirds, with about 70 days anticipated.”
Phase one focuses on the stretch between Riverside Drive and South Detroit Avenue.
During this time, South Main Street between East 21st Street and East 22nd Street will be closed to thru traffic, forcing drivers to find alternate routes into the neighborhood.
While the city is working to keep at least two lanes of traffic open, local business owners are bracing for the logistical “mess” that often accompanies heavy machinery.
“What I understand is they’re going to go down the middle of the street with a new sewer line. I’m hoping they’ll leave part of the street open so we can get some traffic, but it’s going to be a mess. But, it’s got to be done.”
Rucker expressed concern that the construction might intimidate customers who already find the area difficult to navigate.
“People really struggle to come down here. They think it’s downtown. We’ve been kind of thinking, okay this is going to take a hit, but hopefully it’ll be done now and we can get on.”
To mitigate the impact on residents and shops, City officials said they are conducting “door-to-door” outreach to coordinate driveway access and provide daily updates on the construction schedule.
White said, “We’ll have day-to-day communication between the contractor and the residents and property owners and business owners, maintaining business access for the businesses. There’s a lot of door knocking and communication going out.”
The City hopes to have the final phase completed and the corridor cleared before the busy holiday shopping season begins in mid-November.
In the meantime, officials are encouraging drivers to be vigilant near school crossings at Cascia Hall and to seek alternate routes whenever possible.
For more specific details on detour routes and the project’s overall timeline, click here.
