Interstate 44 in Oklahoma

Interstate 44 runs diagonally through the U.S. state of Oklahoma, spanning from the Texas state line near Wichita Falls to the Missouri border near Joplin. It connects three of Oklahoma's largest cities, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Lawton. Most of I-44 in Oklahoma is a toll road. In southwestern Oklahoma, I-44 is the H.E. Bailey Turnpike and follows a north–south direction. From Oklahoma City to Tulsa, I-44 follows the Turner Turnpike. As I-44 leaves Tulsa it becomes the Will Rogers Turnpike to the Missouri border. In the Lawton, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa metro areas, I-44 is toll-free.

Interstate 44
I-44 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by ODOT & OTA
Length328.53 mi[1] (528.72 km)
Existed1956–present
Major junctions
West end I-44 / US 277 / US 281 at the Texas state line
  I-240 in Oklahoma City
I-40 in Oklahoma City
I-235 in Oklahoma City
I-35 in Oklahoma City
I-244 in Tulsa
East end I-44 at the Missouri state line
Location
CountiesCotton, Comanche, Caddo, Grady, McClain, Cleveland, Oklahoma, Lincoln, Creek, Tulsa, Rogers, Mayes, Craig, Ottawa
Highway system
Oklahoma State Highway System
SH-43 SH-44

I-44 is paralleled by former US-66 (now mostly SH-66) from Oklahoma City to the Missouri state line.

In Oklahoma City, I-44 is also known as the Will Rogers Expressway.

Route description

I-44 westbound as it enters Oklahoma near Joplin, MO.

I-44 crosses the Red River near Burkburnett, Texas. It 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 and Fort Sill until Exit 46. The northern section of the H.E. Bailey Turnpike carries I-44 north, serving Chickasha, before ending at U.S. Highway 62 (Exit 107) in Newcastle.

The I-44 and I-235/US-77 junction: The Eastbound exits are labeled 127A for Southbound I-235 towards Downtown, Oklahoma City and 127B for Norhtbound US-77 towards Edmond, Oklahoma. However traveling Westbound both exits are labeled 127. This junction also signifies the northern end for Interstate 235.

From Newcastle, I-44 heads north through rural parts of Oklahoma City before serving as the western terminus of Interstate 240. It then indirectly serves Will Rogers World Airport by connecting to S.W. 59th St. (which becomes S.W. 54th St before reaching the airport) and SH-152, the Airport Road freeway. I-44 meets Interstate 40 west 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 to Bethany and Warr Acres. It then turns more eastbound before reaching a junction with Interstate 235, which also signifies the northern end of I-235, and US-77 also known as the Broadway Extension which connects Downtown, Oklahoma City to Edmond Oklahoma. It then meets and follows a stretch of Interstate 35, which it overlaps with until the Turner Turnpike interchange where it takes an easterly turn again.

I-44 then follows the Turner Turnpike to Sapulpa, where it becomes a non-tolled road after meeting OK 66. I-44 bypasses downtown Tulsa; Interstate 244 serves 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, including Claremore, Vinita (where it passes under the world's largest McDonald's), and Miami. After passing Miami, I-44 crosses the state line into Missouri, about 600 feet south of the Kansas-Missouri-Oklahoma tripoint.

History

I-44 was designated through Oklahoma to replace the section of US-66 running from Oklahoma City to Joplin, Missouri. I-44 covered the already-existing Turner Turnpike and Will Rogers Turnpike, with a western terminus at I-35 in Oklahoma City, the current western terminus of the Turner Turnpike.

I-44 was assigned to the H.E. Bailey Turnpike in 1982, when I-44 was assigned to the west and north 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.[2] 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.[3] The non-tolled section through Lawton was the Pioneer Expressway.[3]

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

Southeast of Catoosa, I-44 was redesigned to have an interchange with the eastern expansion of the Creek Turnpike. A 1.5 mile stretch of the original roadbed remains, however it is unused and is not maintained by 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.

Interstate 44 is also known for being crossed by the 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado on May 3, 1999 during the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak, and by the 2013 Moore tornado on May 20, 2013 during the tornado outbreak of May 18-21, 2013.

Interstate 440

Interstate 440
LocationOklahoma City

The designation I-440 had been 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 with Interstate standards. In 1975, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials approved renumbering I-440 as I-240 to 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 near Edmond, Oklahoma to the Texas/Oklahoma 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 of Lawton, Oklahoma.[4] While the I-440 number was dropped in 1975, it is available if needed in the future.

Exit list

CountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
CottonRed River0.000.00 I-44 west / US 277 / US 281 south Burkburnett, Wichita FallsContinuation into Texas
President George W. Bush Bridge
1.121.801 SH-36 Grandfield
5.298.515 US 277 / US 281 north / US 70 RandlettEastern end of US-277/US-281 concurrency
H.E. Bailey Turnpike begins
Walters19.7831.8320 SH-5 / US 277 / US 281 WaltersWalters toll plaza is located at this interchange
Comanche29.8348.0130 SH-36 west / US 277 south / US 281 south Geronimo, Faxon, FrederickWestern end of US-277/US-281 concurrency
Lawton33.1953.4133
US 281 Bus. north (11th Street)
36.4758.6936A SH-7 east (Lee Boulevard) DuncanSigned as exits 36A (east) and 36B (west) westbound
37.4860.3237Gore Boulevard
38.5061.9639B
US 281 Bus. south Lawton
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
38.7162.3039ACache Road Lawton Business DistrictSigned as exit 38 eastbound
39.7764.0040 US 62 west (Rogers Lane) Cache, AltusSplit into exits 40A (east) and 40B (west); exit 40A signed as exit 40C westbound; western end of US-62 concurrency
41.3566.5541Fort Sill Key GateDepartment of Defense ID required
45.0272.4545 SH-49 Carnegie, Medicine Park
46.3974.6646 US 62 east / US 277 / US 281 north Elgin, Apache, AnadarkoEastbound exit and westbound entrance; eastern end of US-62/US-277/US-281 concurrency
Elgin52.7884.9453 US 277 Fletcher, Elgin, Sterling
61.5299.0162Fletcher, Cyril, SterlingWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
Caddo
No major junctions
GradyChickasha toll plaza
Chickasha80.10128.9180 US 81 (US-277) Duncan, Chickasha
82.64133.0083 US 62 (US-277) Chickasha, Anadarko
Newcastle toll plaza
98.70158.84H.E. Bailey Spur Blanchard, NormanCloverleaf interchange
SH-4 Yukon, Mustang, Tuttle
McClainNewcastle106.59171.54 H.E. Bailey Turnpike ends
107 US 62 west / US 277 south Newcastle, BlanchardWestern end of US-62 concurrency
107.37172.80108 SH-37 west Minco, TuttleWestern end of SH-37 concurrency
107.89173.63108AFrontage RoadWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
ClevelandOklahoma City109.33175.95109SW 149th Street
110.37177.62110 SH-37 east (SW 134th Street) MooreEastern end of SH-37 concurrency
111.43179.33111SW 119th Street
112.49181.04112SW 104th Street
Oklahoma113.51182.68113SW 89th Street
114.52184.30114SW 74th Street
114.84184.82115 I-240 / US 62 / SH-3 east Dallas, Fort SmithEastern end of US-62 concurrency, western end of SH-3 concurrency, left exit & no exit number westbound; I-240 exit 1A
115.59186.02116ASW 59th Street
116.36187.26116B SH-152 west (Airport Road)
116.89188.12117ASW 44th StreetSigned as exit 117B westbound
117.74189.48118SW 29th Street
118.77191.14119SW 15th Street
119.55192.40120 I-40 Amarillo, Fort SmithSigned as exits 120A (west) and 120B (east); I-40 exits 147A-B
120.84194.47121NW 10th Street Fair ParkSigned as exits 121A (east) and 121B (west)
121.87196.13122NW 23rd Street
122.90197.79123ANW 36th StreetEastbound exit and westbound entrance
123.16198.21 SH-3 west / SH-74 north (Lake Hefner Parkway)Eastern end of SH-3 concurrency; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
123.26198.37123B SH-66 west Warr Acres, BethanyWestern end of SH-66 concurrency; no westbound exit
123.66199.01124N. May AvenueNo westbound entrance
124.75200.77125AN. Penn AvenueFull name is "Pennsylvania"
125.38201.78125CNorthwest Expressway
125.86202.55125BClassen BoulevardNo westbound entrance
126.16–
126.38
203.03–
203.39
126Western AvenueWestbound exits onto NW Grand Blvd
127.11204.56127 I-235 / US 77 south Oklahoma City, Downtown
US 77 north (Broadway Extension) Edmond
Split into exits 127A (south) and 127B (north) eastbound; westbound entrance includes direct entrance ramp from N. 63rd Street
127.66205.45128ALincoln Boulevard  State Capitol
128.36206.58128BKelley Avenue
129.43208.30129M.L. King Avenue
130.39209.84130 I-35 south to I-40 Oklahoma City, DallasWestern end of I-35 concurrency; I-35 exit 133; no exit number westbound
131.18211.11134Wilshire BoulevardExit numbers follow I-35
132.22212.79135Britton Road
133.35214.61136Hefner Road
143.33230.67137NE 122nd Street
134.92217.13 I-35 north (SH-66 east)Eastern end of I-35/SH-66 concurrency; eastbound exit and westbound entrance; I-35 exit 138A
135.12217.45 Kilpatrick Turnpike westNo eastbound exit
Turner Turnpike begins
I-35 north (SH-66 east) / Sooner Road WichitaWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
146.29235.43146Luther / Jones
Luther149 Kickapoo Turnpike southKickapoo Turnpike opened from I-44 to US-62 in October 2020[5]
LincolnWellston157.13252.88158 SH-66 Wellston
Chandler166.38267.76166 SH-18 Chandler, Cushing
Stroud179.12288.27179 US 377 south / SH-99 Stroud, Drumright
CreekStroud Toll Plaza
Bristow196.30315.91196 SH-48 Bristow, Lake Keystone
Sapulpa210.61338.94211 SH-33 / SH-66 Drumright, Kellyville
215.35346.57215 SH-97 Sapulpa, Sand Springs
216.99349.21218A SH-66 SapulpaEastbound exit and westbound entrance
217.36349.81218B SH-364 / Creek Turnpike east Joplin, Jenks, Broken ArrowEastbound exit and westbound entrance
221.05355.75221A57th West AvenueWestbound exit only
CreekTulsa
county line
221.60356.63221B SH-66 west Bristow, SapulpaWestbound exit and eastbound entrance, west end of SH-66 overlap
Turner Turnpike ends
Tulsa221.93357.16222A49th West Avenue
222.08357.40222B55th PlaceEastbound exit only
222C56th StreetWestbound exit only
222.45358.00223A I-244 east (Red Fork Expressway) Downtown TulsaWestern terminus of I-244; I-244 exit 1A
222.60358.24223B51st StreetAccess via Gilcrease Expressway; no eastbound exit
Tulsa223.02358.92223C33rd West Avenue
224.02360.53224Union AvenueC/D lanes provide access to US-75 and Elwood Ave.
224.30360.98 US 75 Okmulgee, BartlesvilleCloverleaf interchange; accessible to and from C/D lanes
224.76361.72225Elwood AvenueEastbound access is part of exit 224 accessible from C/D lanes originating at Union Ave. exit
225.54362.97226ARiverside Drive
226.03363.76226BPeoria Avenue
227.03365.37227Lewis Avenue
228.03366.9822851st Street / Harvard Avenue
229.11368.72229Yale Avenue
230.06370.2523041st Street / Sheridan Road
231.02371.79231 US 64 / SH-51 to US 169 Muskogee, Broken Arrow, Downtown Tulsa
231.58372.69232E. 31st Street / Memorial DriveEastbound exit is part of exit 231
233.11375.15233E. 21st StreetSigned as exit 233B westbound
233.73376.15234A US 169 Owasso, Broken ArrowNo eastbound exit to US-169 south
234.39377.21234BGarnett RoadEastbound exit and westbound entrance
234.63377.60235E. 11th Street
235.72379.35236129th East Avenue
236.15380.05236B I-244 / US 412 west (Crosstown Expressway) Sand Springs, EnidWestbound exit and eastbound entrance; western end of US-412 concurrency; eastern terminus of I-244
TulsaRogers
county line
TulsaCatoosa line237.78382.67238161st East Avenue
239.79385.90240 SH-167 north (193rd East Avenue)
Catoosa240.25386.64241 SH-66 east Claremore, CatoosaNo eastbound entrance; east end of SH-66 overlap; no exit number westbound
TulsaFair Oaks line241.43388.54 US 412 east Chouteau, Siloam SpringsEast end of US-412 overlap; left entrances; no westbound exit; former SH-33 east
RogersFair Oaks241.70388.98 SH-364 / Creek Turnpike west Oklahoma CityLeft exit and entrances; no eastbound exit; Will Rogers Tpk. exit 34
Will Rogers Turnpike begins
242.40390.1035E. Pine StreetWestbound exit and eastbound entrance; exit number based on a continuation of Creek Tpk. mileposts
Verdigris248.24399.50248 SH-266 west Port of Catoosa, Claremore
Claremore254.17409.05255 SH-20 Pryor, Claremore
Mayes269.64433.94269 SH-28 Chelsea, South Grand Lake, AdairEastbound exit and westbound entrance
CraigBig Cabin282.61454.82283 US 69 Big Cabin
Toll plaza
VinitaService plaza
289.27465.53289 US 60 (US-69) to SH-66 Vinita
Ottawa301.94485.93302 US 59 / US 60 (US-69) Fairland, Grove, Afton
Miami313.19504.03313 SH-10 Miami
Oklahoma–Missouri line329.36530.05 Will Rogers Turnpike ends
I-44 eastContinuation into Missouri
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

KML is from Wikidata
  1. Stuve, Eric. "Interstate Highways at OKHighways.com". OKHighways. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  2. "I-240 Section Changing to I-44". The Daily Oklahoman. 1982-10-09.
  3. Highway Map of Oklahoma (Map) (1966 ed.). Cartography by Diversified Map Co. Skelly Oil Company. § 11C.
  4. "Interstate 240 Oklahoma". Interstate Guide. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  5. "Turnpike Construction Begins". Luther Register. January 18, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
Interstate 44
Previous state:
Texas
Oklahoma Next state:
Missouri
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