Interstate 44 in Oklahoma

This article is about the section of Interstate 44 in Oklahoma. For the entire route, seeInterstate 44.

Interstate 44
I-44 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained byODOTandOTA
Length	328.53 mi(528.72 km)
Existed	1956–present
NHS	Entire route
Major junctions
West end	I-44/US 277/US 281at the Texas state line
Major intersections	I-240/SH-3inOklahoma City I-40in Oklahoma City I-235/US 77in Oklahoma City I-344/Kilpatrick Turnpikein Oklahoma City SH-66in Oklahoma City I-35in Oklahoma City I-335/Kickapoo Turnpikein Oklahoma City I-244inTulsa
East end	I-44at the Missouri state line
Location
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
Counties	Cotton,Comanche,Caddo,Grady,McClain,Cleveland,Oklahoma,Lincoln,Creek,Tulsa,Rogers,Mayes,Craig,Ottawa
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Oklahoma State Highway System Interstate US State Turnpikes
←SH-43 →SH-44

Interstate 44(I-44) is anInterstate Highwaythat runs diagonally through the U.S. state ofOklahoma,spanning from theTexasstate line nearWichita Falls, Texas,to theMissouriborder nearJoplin, Missouri.It connects three of Oklahoma's largest cities:Oklahoma City,Tulsa,andLawton.Most of I-44 in Oklahoma is atoll road.In southwestern Oklahoma, I-44 is theH. E. Bailey Turnpikeand follows a diagonally northwest–southeast (and vice versa) direction. From Oklahoma City to Tulsa, I-44 follows theTurner Turnpike.As I-44 leaves Tulsa, it becomes theWill Rogers Turnpiketo the Missouri border. In theLawton,Oklahoma City,andTulsametropolitan areas, I-44 is toll-free. In Oklahoma City, I-44 is also known as the Will Rogers Expressway.

I-44 is paralleled by formerU.S. Highway 66(US-66, now mostlyState Highway 66,or SH-66) from Oklahoma City to the Missouri state line.

Route description

I-44 westbound as it enters Oklahoma near Joplin, Missouri

I-44 crosses theRed RivernearBurkburnett, Texas.It enters the state on a mostly north–south alignment. The route is toll-free until exit 5, which is the last free exit before the start of the southern section of the H. E. Bailey Turnpike. At exit 30, the tolls end, and I-44 becomes a non-tolled highway again through Lawton andFort Silluntil exit 46. The northern section of the H. E. Bailey Turnpike carries I-44 north, servingChickashabefore ending atUS-62(exit 107) inNewcastle.

The I-44 and I-235/US-77 junction. The eastbound exits are labeled 127A for southbound I-235 toward Downtown Oklahoma City and 127B for northbound US-77 toward Edmond. However, traveling westbound, both exits are labeled 127. This junction also signifies the northern end for I-235. The exit has since been reconfigured.

From Newcastle, I-44 enters a northeast–southwest alignment and heads north through rural parts of Oklahoma City before it briefly enters awrong-way concurrencywithI-240.It then indirectly servesWill Rogers World Airportby connecting to Southwest 59th Street (which becomes Southwest 54th Street before reaching the airport) andSH-152,the Airport Road freeway. I-44 meetsI-40west of downtown at an interchange sometimes referred to as the Amarillo Junction. I-44 then passes west of the state fairgrounds and continues north to provide access toBethanyandWarr Acres.It then turns more eastbound before reaching a junction withI-235,which also signifies the northern end of I-235, andUS-77also known as the Broadway Extension, which connectsDowntown Oklahoma CitytoEdmond.It then meets and follows a stretch ofI-35,which itruns concurrentlywith until the Turner Turnpike interchange, where it takes an easterly turn again.

I-44 then follows the Turner Turnpike toSapulpa,where it becomes a non-tolled road after meetingSH-66.I-44 bypassesDowntown Tulsa;I-244serves the downtown areas. After meeting the Creek Turnpike again on the east side of the city, I-44 becomes a turnpike once again, gaining the Will Rogers Turnpike designation.

The Will Rogers Turnpike section serves many northeast Oklahoma towns, includingClaremore,Vinita(where it passes under theworld's former largest McDonald's), andMiami.After passing Miami, I-44 crosses the state line into Missouri, about 600 feet (180 m) south of the Kansas–Missouri–Oklahomatripoint.

History

I-44 was designated throughOklahomato replace the section of US-66 running fromOklahoma CitytoJoplin, Missouri.I-44 covered the already-existingTurnerandWill Rogersturnpikes, with a western terminus at I-35 in Oklahoma City, the current western terminus of the Turner Turnpike.

I-44 was assigned to theH. E. Bailey Turnpikein 1982, when I-44 was assigned to the western and northern legs of I-240 (then a semi-beltway around Oklahoma City) and the H. E. Bailey Turnpike as part of Oklahoma's "Diamond Jubilee" celebrations.Before I-44 was assigned to it, the freeway connector to the north end of the H. E. Bailey Turnpike was named the Will Rogers Expressway.The non-tolled section through Lawton was the Pioneer Expressway.

Westbound I-44 northeast ofTulsawas affected by a sinkhole found on June 2, 2010. According to thelocal news,the sinkhole measured 12 feet (3.7 m) wide and 24 feet (7.3 m) long. Traffic was only affected for a short period of time and the roadway has since been reopened.

Southeast ofCatoosa,I-44 was redesigned to have an interchange with the eastern expansion of theCreek Turnpike.A 1.5-mile (2.4 km) stretch of the original roadbed remains; it, however, is unused and is not maintained by theOklahoma Department of Transportation(ODOT) or any of the surrounding cities. In 2012, the only bridge over the abandoned stretch, Pine Street, was removed and replaced with graded fill over the old turnpike.

Abandoned route of the Will Rogers Turnpike near Catoosa, Oklahoma, looking southwest from Pine Street

As part of a project to widenI-235andUS-77to accommodate the increase amount of traffic, its interchange with I-44/SH-66was reconstructed from acloverleaf interchangeto a four-level interchange beginning in 2011. The project eliminated two cloverleaf ramps, widened the other two cloverleaves, and added two new flyover ramps. The four-level interchange was the first of its kind in Oklahoma. The project lasted 11 years and was opened on March 3, 2022.An additional $16 million is being provided to reconstruct the I-44 to US-77 ramp and provide a direct connection to North Lincoln Boulevard. The project is expected to be started in 2023.

I-44 is also known for being crossed by the1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornadoon May 3, 1999, during the1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak,and by the2013 Moore tornadoon May 20, 2013, during thetornado outbreak of May 18–21, 2013.

On February 14, 2021, icy conditions caused a multi-vehicle pileup near Oklahoma City. Both eastbound and westbound lanes were shut down because of the incident.

The H. E. Bailey Turnpike section of I-44 was converted to cashless tolling via PlatePay and PikePass in mid-2022. This was done to remove the need for toll plazas, which were seen as inefficient and prone to traffic accidents.The project, along with a project to rehabilitate the pavement betweenLawtonto theOklahoma City metropolitan area,is being done in order to raise the speed limit from 75 to 80 mph (121 to 129 km/h).

Interstate 440

Interstate 440
Location	Oklahoma City

Interstate 440(I-440) was the designation given to a stretch of Interstate Highway from I-240 to US-66 in Oklahoma City. It was a part of the original Grand Boulevard that had been built in compliance withInterstate Highway standards.In 1975, theAmerican Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials(AASHTO) approved renumbering I-440 asI-240to create a single numeric designation for the Oklahoma City loop. In 1982, as part of Oklahoma's "Diamond Jubilee", I-44's western terminus was moved from the I-35/I-44 junction nearEdmond,to the Texas state line via the Belle Isle Freeway (part of the recently designated I-240 connecting the former I-440 with I-35); I-240, the H. E. Bailey Turnpike; and the turnpike connector road on the eastern edge ofLawton.

Exit list

County	Location	mi	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Cotton	Red River	0.00	0.00		I-44west /US 277south /US 281south –Burkburnett,Wichita Falls	Continuation intoTexas
				President George W. BushBridge
	​	1.12	1.80	1	SH-36–Grandfield
	​	5.29	8.51	5	US 277/US 281north /US 70–Randlett H.E. Bailey Turnpikebegins	Eastern end of US-277/US-281 concurrency; western end of H.E. Bailey Turnpike
	Walters	19.78	31.83	20	SH-5/US 277/US 281–Walters	Walters toll plaza is located at this interchange
Comanche	​	29.83	48.01	30	SH-36west /US 277south /US 281south –Geronimo,Faxon,Frederick	Western end of US-277/US-281 concurrency
	Lawton	33.19	53.41	33	US 281 Bus.north (11th Street)
		36.47	58.69	36A	SH-7east (Lee Boulevard) –Duncan	Signed as exits 36A (east) and 36B (west) westbound
		37.48	60.32	37	Gore Boulevard
		38.50	61.96	39B	US 281 Bus.south –Lawton	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		38.71	62.30	39A	Cache Road –Lawton Business District	Signed as exit 38 eastbound
		39.77	64.00	40	US 62west (Rogers Lane) –Cache,Altus	Split into exits 40A (east) and 40B (west); exit 40A signed as exit 40C westbound; western end of US-62 concurrency
		41.35	66.55	41	Fort Sill Key Gate	Department of DefenseID required
	​	45.02	72.45	45	SH-49–Carnegie,Medicine Park
	​	46.39	74.66	46	US 62east /US 277/US 281north –Elgin,Apache,Anadarko	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; eastern end of US-62/US-277/US-281 concurrency
	Elgin	52.78	84.94	53	US 277–Fletcher,Elgin,Sterling
	​	61.52	99.01	62	Fletcher,Cyril,Sterling	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; future full interchange
Caddo	No major junctions
Grady	​			Chickasha toll plaza
	​	72	116	72	US 277/SH-19–Cement	Future interchange
	Chickasha	80.10	128.91	80	US 81(US-277) –Duncan,Chickasha
		82.64	133.00	83	US 62(US-277) –Chickasha,Anadarko
	​	86	138	86	SH-92	Future interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
	​	93	150	93	Amber	Future interchange
	​			Newcastle toll plaza
	​	98.70	158.84	—	SH-4 Tollsouth –Blanchard,Norman,H. E. Bailey Norman Spur	Cloverleaf interchange;exit numbers not displayed
	​			—	SH-4north –Yukon,Mustang,Tuttle
McClain	Newcastle	106.59	171.54	107	US 62west /US 277begins –Newcastle,Blanchard H.E. Bailey Turnpikeends	Western end of US-62 concurrency; eastern end of H.E. Bailey Turnpike
		107.37	172.80	108	SH-37west –Minco,Tuttle	Western end of SH-37 concurrency
		107.89	173.63	108A	Frontage Road	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Cleveland	Oklahoma City	109.33	175.95	109	SW 149th Street
		110.37	177.62	110	SH-37east (SW 134th Street) –Moore	Eastern end of SH-37 concurrency
		111.43	179.33	111	SW 119th Street
		112.49	181.04	112	SW 104th Street
Oklahoma		113.51	182.68	113	SW 89th Street
		114.52	184.30	114	SW 74th Street
		114.84	184.82	115	I-240east /US 62east /SH-3east –Dallas,Fort Smith	Eastern end of US-62 and I-240 concurrency; western end of SH-3 concurrency; left exit & no exit number westbound; I-240 exit 1A
		115.59	186.02	116A	SW 59th Street
		116.36	187.26	116B	I-240west (Airport Road)	Western End of I-240 concurrency
		116.89	188.12	117A	SW 44th Street	Signed as exit 117B westbound
		117.74	189.48	118	SW 29th Street
		118.77	191.14	119	SW 15th Street
		119.55	192.40	120	I-40–Amarillo,Fort Smith	Signed as exits 120A (west) and 120B (east); I-40 exits 147A-B
		120.84	194.47	121	NW 10th Street –Fair Park	Signed as exits 121A (east) and 121B (west)
		121.87	196.13	122	NW 23rd Street
		122.90	197.79	123A	NW 36th Street	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		123.16	198.21	—	SH-3west /SH-74north (Lake Hefner Parkway)	Eastern end of SH-3 concurrency; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		123.26	198.37	123B	SH-66west –Warr Acres,Bethany	Western end of SH-66 concurrency; no westbound exit
		123.66	199.01	124	N. May Avenue	No westbound entrance
		124.75	200.77	125A	N. Penn Avenue	Full name is "Pennsylvania"
		125.38	201.78	125C	Northwest Expressway	No eastbound exit
		125.86	202.55	125B	Classen Boulevard	No westbound entrance
		126.16– 126.38	203.03– 203.39	126	Western Avenue	Westbound exits onto NW Grand Blvd
		127.11	204.56	127A	I-235/US 77south –Oklahoma City,Downtown
		127.11	204.56	127B	US 77north –Edmond	Also includes unnumbered exit to NW 63rd Street
		127.66	205.45	128A	Lincoln Boulevard–State Capitol
		128.36	206.58	128B	Kelley Avenue
		129.43	208.30	129	M.L. King Avenue
		130.39	209.84	130	I-35south toI-40–Oklahoma City,Dallas	Western end of I-35 concurrency; I-35 exit 133; no exit number westbound
		131.18	211.11	134	Wilshire Boulevard	Exit numbers follow I-35
		132.22	212.79	135	Britton Road
		133.35	214.61	136	Hefner Road
		143.33	230.67	137	NE 122nd Street
		134.92	217.13	—	I-35north (SH-66east)	Eastern end of I-35/SH-66 concurrency; eastbound exit and westbound entrance; I-35 exit 138A
		135.12	217.45	—	I-344 Tollwest /Kilpatrick Turnpike	No eastbound exit
				—	I-35north (SH-66east) / Sooner Road –Wichita Turner Turnpikebegins	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; western end of Turner Turnpike
				139	Post Road	Proposed interchange on the existing turnpike
		146.29	235.43	146	Luther/Jones
	Luther			149	I-335 Tollsouth /Kickapoo Turnpike	Kickapoo Tpk. exits 149A-B
Lincoln	​			155	SH-102–Wellston	Proposed interchange on the existing turnpike
	Wellston	157.13	252.88	158	SH-66–Wellston
	Chandler	166.38	267.76	166	SH-18–Chandler,Cushing
	​			173	Davenport	Proposed interchange on the existing turnpike
	Stroud	179.12	288.27	179	US 377begins /SH-99–Stroud,Drumright
Creek	​			Toll plaza
	​			188	Depew	Proposed interchange on the existing turnpike
	Bristow	196.30	315.91	196	SH-48–Bristow,Lake Keystone
	​	203	327	203	SH-66–Kellyville	Proposed interchange on the existing turnpike
	Sapulpa	210.61	338.94	211	SH-33/SH-66–Drumright,Kellyville
		215.35	346.57	215	SH-97–Sapulpa,Sand Springs
		216.99	349.21	218A	SH-66–Sapulpa	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		217.36	349.81	218B	Creek Turnpikeeast –Joplin,Jenks,Broken Arrow	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
Creek–Tulsa county line		221.60	356.63	221	SH-66west –Bristow,Sapulpa Turner Turnpikeends	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance, west end of SH-66 overlap; eastern end of Turner Turnpike
Tulsa		221.93	357.16	222A	49th West Avenue
		222.08	357.40	222B	55th Place	Eastbound exit only
				222C	56th Street	Westbound exit only
		222.45	358.00	223A	I-244east (M. L. King Memorial Expressway) –Downtown Tulsa	Western terminus of I-244; I-244 exit 1A
		222.60	358.24	223B	51st Street	Access viaGilcrease Expressway;(eastbound exit via I-244 exit 1B)
	Tulsa	223.02	358.92	223C	33rd West Avenue
		224.02	360.53	224	Union Avenue	C/D lanesprovide access to US-75 and Elwood Ave.
		224.30	360.98		US 75–Okmulgee,Bartlesville	Cloverleaf interchange;accessible to and from C/D lanes
		224.76	361.72	225	Elwood Avenue	Eastbound access is part of exit 224 accessible from C/D lanes originating at Union Ave. exit
		225.54	362.97	226A	Riverside Drive	Eastbound access via exit 226
		226.03	363.76	226B	Peoria Avenue	Signed as exit 226 eastbound
		227.03	365.37	227	Lewis Avenue
		228.03	366.98	228	E. 51st Street / Harvard Avenue
		229.11	368.72	229	Yale Avenue
		230.06	370.25	230	E. 41st Street / Sheridan Road
		231.02	371.79	231	US 64/SH-51toUS 169–Muskogee,Broken Arrow,Sand Springs
		231.58	372.69	232	E. 31st Street / Memorial Drive	Eastbound exit is part of exit 231
		233.11	375.15	233	E. 21st Street	Signed as exit 233B westbound
		233.73	376.15	234A	US 169–Owasso,Broken Arrow	No eastbound exit to US-169 south
		234.39	377.21	234B	Garnett Road	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		234.63	377.60	235	E. 11th Street	No westbound entrance
		235.72	379.35	236	129th East Avenue
		236.15	380.05	236B	I-244/US 412west –Sand Springs,Enid	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; western end of US-412 concurrency; eastern terminus of I-244
Tulsa–Rogers county line	Tulsa–Catoosaline	237.78	382.67	238	161st East Avenue
		239.79	385.90	240	SH-167north (193rd East Avenue)
	Catoosa	240.25	386.64	241	SH-66east –Claremore,Catoosa	No eastbound entrance; east end of SH-66 overlap; no exit number westbound
	Tulsa–Fair Oaksline	241.43	388.54	—	US 412east –Chouteau,Siloam Springs	East end of US-412 overlap; left entrances; no westbound exit; formerSH-33east
Rogers	Fair Oaks	241.70	388.98	34	Creek Turnpikewest –Oklahoma City Will Rogers Turnpikebegins	Left exit and entrances; no eastbound exit; exit number based on a continuation of Creek Tpk. mileposts
	​	242.40	390.10	35	E. Pine Street	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; exit number based on a continuation of Creek Tpk. mileposts; future full interchange
	Verdigris	248.24	399.50	248	SH-266west –Port of Catoosa,Claremore
	Claremore			252	SH-20–Claremore(Flint Road)	New interchange to be built by OTA with cashless tolling
		254.17	409.05	255	SH-20–Pryor,Claremore
	Mayes	269.64	433.94	269	SH-28–Chelsea,South Grand Lake,Adair	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; future full interchange
Craig	Big Cabin	282.61	454.82	283	US 69–Big Cabin
	​			Toll plaza
	Vinita			Service plaza
	​	289.27	465.53	289	US 60(US-69) toSH-66–Vinita
Ottawa	​	301.94	485.93	302	US 59/US 60(US-69) –Fairland,Grove,Afton
	Miami	313.19	504.03	313	SH-10–Miami
Oklahoma–Missouriline		329.36	530.05		I-44east –Joplin	Continuation into Missouri; eastern end of Will Rogers Turnpike
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrencyterminus Incomplete access Tolled

External links

Template:Attached KML/Interstate 44 in Oklahoma

KML is from Wikidata