NORMAN — On Monday, residents in northwest Norman will be a little closer to having a four-lane highway with paved shoulders as construction begins on 60th Avenue Northwest, also known as Western Avenue. When completed, the rural four-lane will connect to Oklahoma City.
The $5.7 million street improvement project is administered by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Fully funded through ODOT sources, the city of Norman is not participating in construction costs. This first phase of construction will run from Tecumseh Road to Franklin Road.
Traffic will detour to 48th Avenue Northwest along Tecumseh and Franklin roads during the three months of construction. This is the first of three phases for the 60th Avenue widening project. The next phase will widen the stretch of 60th from Franklin Road to Indian Hills Road. The final phase will finish up work north of Indian Hills Road.
“The total project will be approximately seven months,” said Scott Sturtz, Norman’s capital projects engineer. “They’re going to do one-mile increments.”
Sturtz believes part of the motivation behind the project is to help alleviate traffic on Interstate 35 by providing an alternative local route.
“The work that Oklahoma City will do will make it four-lanes to Oklahoma City, so it will provide a connector from Oklahoma City all the way to Norman,” Sturtz said.
Over the next two years, Oklahoma City will make improvements to Western Avenue between Indian Hills Road and 134th Street, which is State Highway 37.
When both projects are completed, five miles of Western Avenue/60th Avenue Northwest will be improved to rural highway standards to improve traffic flow and traffic safety.
During the first phase of construction, a new traffic signal will be installed at the intersection of 60th Avenue Northwest and Indian Hills Road. While the highway will be asphalt with shoulders, the intersection at Indian Hills will be concrete to withstand the high traffic.
“We’re also utilizing this project to try to deal with the drainage issues that have typically occurred in Ten Mile Flats,” Sturtz said.
Ten Mile Flat Creek bridge will be replaced as part of the project.
The primary contractor is Silverstar Construction of Moore. The local engineering firm, EST Inc., is providing construction oversight and field inspection services.
Joy Hampton 366-3539 jhampton@ normantranscript.com
