Roadwork extended until fall
By Jeff Harrison
Managing Editor
Road crews will be in Midwest City longer than expected.
A metro construction company received a 45-day extension to complete work on SE 15th Street between Midwest Boulevard and Rose State College. The roadway is expected to be open to traffic by early October with peripheral work finished by the end of the month, according to Oklahoma Department of Transportation spokesperson Lisa Shearer-Salim.
“We recognize that this needs to wrap soon and we appreciate everyone’s patience so far,” Shearer-Salim said. “We know it’s not easy to have them narrow the road like this.”
Road crews use an excavator Wednesday morning to remove old concrete and asphalt near the intersection of SE 15th Street and Midwest Boulevard. The crews are replacing the intersection as part of a $2.3 million project. (Staff photo by Jeff Harrison)
Traffic has been down to two lanes along the busy roadway since early this year. The project was expected to be finished by Labor Day, but was delayed for more than a month due to issues with the project design and road base. Duit Construction, the road contractor, had hoped to make up the time this summer, but was slowed again by wet weather last month.
Crews plan to open lanes and portions of the project as soon as possible.
The original contract allowed for the project to be completed within six months. Crews officially started the project on Feb. 20.
The $2.3 million project includes repaving SE 15th Street between Midwest Blvd. and Oelke Drive, near the north entrance to Rose State College. Crews are also replacing the intersection at Midwest Blvd. and a portion of the intersection at Air Depot Blvd.
The project is a joint effort between the City of Midwest City and ODOT. Eighty percent of the project is funded by federal dollars with the city providing the remaining 20 percent.
Midwest City is also working with ODOT on another project along SE 15th Street on the east side of the city. Crews are widening the street between Lynn Fry Boulevard, west of Westminster Road, and Anderson Road. In contrast, the $8 million east project is well ahead of schedule and is slated for completion in spring 2018.
The east portion comprises widening SE 15th St. between Lynn Fry Blvd., just west of Westminster Rd., and Anderson Rd. Crews are building three new bridges, reconfiguring the intersections and adding drainage.
Schwarz Paving won the contract for the east portion.
