Groundbreaking held for Vision Tulsa road widening

(TULSA, Okla.) Mayor G.T. Bynum and City Councilor Lori Decter Wright led a groundbreaking today for the Vision Tulsa project – widening of South Mingo Road between East 71st Street and East 81st Street. “Over the last half century, we’ve seen tremendous population gains in areas of town where the street infrastructure hasn’t kept up,” Mayor Bynum said. “It makes sense to increase street capacity to reflect today’s traffic needs, and voters recognized that when they approved funding for the widening of Mingo between 71st and 81st Streets.” South Mingo Road between East 71st Street and East 81st Street will be widened from two lanes to five lanes – two northbound lanes, two southbound lanes and a center left-turn lane, and sidewalks will be constructed on both sides. The road will be reconstructed with a concrete surface, replacing the current asphalt surface. This project also includes replacing the roadside ditches with storm sewers, curbs, gutters and inlets. A new traffic signal will be installed at 71st and Mingo, with Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant ramps at the corners. Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-August, with completion in fall 2020, weather permitting. The City of Tulsa has contracted with APAC-Central Inc. for this $7,430,589 project. The Vision Tulsa sales tax has provided $15 million for the South Mingo Corridor, with funding for design and right-of-way acquisition on other segments, including 91st Street between Mingo Road and Memorial Drive, and Mingo Road between 81st and 91st streets. These projects are planned to accommodate significant traffic increases and current and future economic development. City of Tulsa traffic counts for South Mingo Road between East 71st Street and East 81st Street total approximately 18,550 vehicles per day, according to figures from 2017.