Having taken to task the possible construction deficiencies of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) with the Cimarron Turnpike which connects Tulsa with I-35 north of Stillwater, it seems only fair to give credit for actions in a widening project on the Turner Turnpike (the first state toll, road built in the 1950s if memory serves correct). In a sizeable story in the September 12 issue of the daily paper (with numerous pictures), it developed that a long-promised widening from southwest of Tulsa westward was well under way with one section to possibly open before year-end. The project is being done in three sections, which indicates to me that some consideration has been given to the convenience of the customers.

In a project of that size, construction would disrupt travel on the whole length for several years. In doing it in smaller sections the work on each section causes delays for a shorter period of time and more quickly opens completed stretches to use. Shorter work sections also reduce the delays due to slow speed limits on shorter sections. If my opinion of the matter is correct, then compliments should be due to the decision makers in the OTA, and, “thank you.”

Unfortunately, on the other side of the scale, one only needs to turn to the City of Tulsa and the more than three-year construction stoppage for a large park called “The Gathering Place” on both sides of a major north-south multi-lane thruway.

Tulsa’s Riverside Drive has been closed to traffic for that length of time before being opened at last September 10, three days after the park itself was opened to the public with much fanfare. The street now has at least two pair of tunnels which allow ground surface walking between the two sides of park.

During this closing, the detour was down South Peoria Avenue through the Brookside area which was already in a very crowded state. The added traffic resulted in delays and safety situations and seemed to me to be done in total disregard to the convenience and safety of the citizens. Further aggravating many, including me, was keeping Riverside Drive at four lanes, while further south it becomes six lanes. Former Mayor Susan Savage had proposed widening it to six, plus adding a parkway between with more turn lanes, during her term in office but protests reported to be from residents in nearby neighborhoods served to sidetrack that plan, to the detriment of the users.

Several past projects seem to have been carried out with total disregard for the convenience and safety of the general population. Even now, with discussion being renewed toward a widening project on South Yale Avenue over Signal Hill from 81st Street to 91st Street, a deaf ear seems to prevail downtown in city government and the mainstream media.

A proposal to tunnel under the hill with twin 3-lane bores has received no known consideration, and the daily paper has continued to decline to run letters to the editor about the subject, claiming they contained too many words. While it is known that tunnels can be expensive, it might be less than the huge amount of dirt and rock moving necessary to widen the current two lanes to even four.

That seems to me to be a farce, with both ends having six lanes plus left- and right-turn lanes.

In addition, the hilltop residents would probably welcome a reduction in the traffic on the hill so they could more easily enter and exit their developments. Also, with the large diameter boring machines now available, the tunnels would not require the large amounts of blasting as in earlier years and tunnels would not have the risks of snow, ice or rain to slicken streets which is a problem now. Thus the residents would not be bothered by that activity and the completion of one tunnel would allow two-way traffic through it while the second was being bored.

It seems that the planners, designers and officials have no care about the safety and convenience of those residents in the areas surrounding such a project. This was painfully evident in the previous decade when Yale Avenue was being widened from 71st to 81st streets and the disruption was more than two years because of misdirection on the part of the contractor that could have been avoided. Although there have been, and are, a number of other such instances, these listed should shed a little light on a seemingly prevalent problem.