Getting Over It

Construction on the 34th Street Bridge connecting S 19th Street with Indian Hills Road over Interstate 35 in Moore is scheduled to be completed in November.

“There’s some utility work that needs to be done and that should finish it up really soon,” Moore City Manager Brooks Mitchell confirmed about this month’s anticipated opening of the bridge. “Everything is moving right along. Unless there is something unforeseen, it should be opened in November.”

The $11.3 million project is being led by Moore’s Silver Star Construction and is funded with a combination of local and federal funds. Mitchell said the bridge should alleviate some of the traffic tension on the city’s heavily traveled 19th Street area, a hub for retail outlets off of I-35 through the heart of Moore.

Several new housing developments have also gone in on the city’s south side, adding to the growth and congestion in the area.

“A lot of it has to do with the growth we’ve had in the south part of the city,” Mitchell said. “For traffic to get across I-35, 19th Street is the closest place. So, this will give them another option, which we think will take a lot of the traffic off 19th Street.”

In addition to the new interstate crossover, S.W. 34th Street has been widened to four lanes from Telephone Road to lust shy of the BNSF Railroad tracks east of I-35. A new bridge also now crosses the Little River on the east side of the interstate. Most of the work in that area is also complete.

“A lot of that is done,” Mitchell said. “There are just a few things left.”

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has overseen the project. During construction, contractors have maintained three lanes of I-35 traffic in each direction through most of the project. Crews resurfaced the shoulder, shifting traffic away from the median during construction of the center bridge pier. But, some overnight lane closures were necessary at the beginning of the project, according to ODOT.

The new bridge includes an arched architectural style, with plenty of lighting, stone facade and a sidewalk that includes nods to historical elements of the city. Officials designed the bridge with both traditional and modern elements thatexpress the city’s unique flavor.

Federal funds will pay for $4 million of the project, with the remaining $7.3 million coming from the City of Moore. The funds were approved by city residents during a 2014 bond election.

On November 21st at 5:30pm, the bridge officially opened and the light display turned on for the very first time.–19SM