Construction is expected to wrap up on a busy stretch of Interstate 35 by the end of July.
Lisa Shearer-Salim, an Oklahoma Turnpike Authority spokesperson, said the left lane of I-35 is expected to remain closed until the end of the month near the Kilpatrick Turnpike on-ramp that allows motorists to merge onto the northbound interstate lanes.
Shearer-Salim said the closure is part of the agency’s planned improvements to the eastbound John Kilpatrick Turnpike exit to I-35, which will add a 10-foot shoulder to the ramp and a 12-foot acceleration lane to help improve merging.
Construction at the intersection is part of a $14.7 million project to widen the section of the turnpike between Eastern Avenue and I-35 to six lanes.
The construction projects are part of ACCESS Oklahoma, a $8.2 billion long-range plan that aims to improve turnpike systems across the state. This plan includes creating interchange access points, widening turnpikes, improving bridges and adding new turnpikes to alleviate congestion.
Shearer-Salim said exit ramp construction was expected to be completed in the middle of August, but the project is “progressing a little bit faster than anticipated,” so the lane closures on I-35 are expected to end by the end of July.
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