The project to widen South Yale Avenue between East 81st Street and East 91st Street from two lanes to six lanes is now complete after several years of construction. Mayor G.T. Bynum and District 8 City Councilor Phil Lakin held a celebration Monday, August 19, to celebrate the long-awaited opening of this stretch of Yale.
Completing this project marks a historic moment for the City of Tulsa and one of the City's busiest streets.
"At the completion of the largest road project in Tulsa's history, it's amazing to see how Yale Avenue has been transformed from a risky, curvy, two-lane road to a much safer six-lane road with sidewalks and landscaping," Mayor G.T. Bynum said. "I'm happy to see all six lanes open, and I want to thank the citizens of Tulsa for their support and patience through the construction of our new Yale Avenue."
Those driving on this new mile of Yale Avenue will drive over 9-inch-thick concrete and have four additional lanes than before. The six lanes are divided in half by a raised, landscaped center median with dedicated left-turn bays. Pedestrians will now get to experience the new 6-foot-wide sidewalks that have been added on both sides of the road. The total cost for the project is $31 million, which was funded by the Improve Our Tulsa sales tax. The project finished $9 million under the engineer's original cost estimate.
"Widening roads to resolve massive traffic backups and improve safety is one of my key objectives. Yale has been #1 on the widening list for well over a decade when I took office, yet no council had allocated funding," said District 8 Councilor Phil Lakin Jr. "I fixed this and secured millions by partnering with my fellow councilors and demonstrating the need. And Yale will never be the same: the deadly curve that claimed lives and caused countless accidents is gone; 6 lanes replace 2, and a turn lane protects drivers crossing traffic; and, beautiful landscaping and hardscaping finish out the project the right way, restoring beauty to the corridor. I'm so very proud of our collective work and deeply thank the neighbors, engineers, contractors, and public for their trust and support."
Benefits of the construction and new road include:
Improved capacity for higher traffic volumes
Safer turning movements
Smooth grading between street and retaining walls to eliminate drop-offs
Tight curves flattened to improve sight distance
Additionally, the stormwater drainage system capacity has been expanded to accommodate a 1 percent chance of flooding in any given year. Pipe sizes have been increased to up to 36 inches in diameter.
A new waterline main has been installed on the east side of Yale, 16 inches in diameter and new 8-inch laterals have been installed, connecting to the neighborhood systems. A total of 13 decorative concrete walls have been constructed on both sides of the street, as well as a new 85th Street entrance to the Brookwood subdivision. In the raised median that divides the six lanes, cypress, maple, pine and other trees have been planted where feasible along with other improved landscaping features.
The engineering consultant for this project was Benham, and the contractor was Becco Contractors. Planning Design Group was the landscape architect.