Interstate 44 in Oklahoma

Interstate 44
Route information
Maintained by ODOT & Oklahoma Turnpike Authority
Length: 328.53 mi[1] (528.72 km)
Existed: 1956 – present
Major junctions
West end: I-44 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
East end: I-44 at the Missouri state line
Highway system

Main route of the Interstate Highway System
Main • Auxiliary • Business

Oklahoma State Highways
Oklahoma turnpike system

← SH-43 SH-44 →

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.

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

Contents

Route description

I-44 crosses the Red River near Burkburnett, Texas. It is a freeway 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 freeway 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.

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 to meet Interstate 35, which it overlaps to the Turner Turnpike interchange.

I-44 then follows the Turner Turnpike to Sapulpa, where it becomes a freeway after meeting the Creek Turnpike. 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.

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 freeway section through Lawton was the Pioneer Expressway.[3]

Exit list

County Location Mile # Destinations Notes
Cotton 1 SH-36 – Grandfield
5 US-70 (US-277 north/US-281 north) – Randlett East end of US-277/US-281 overlap
South end of H. E. Bailey Turnpike
Walters 20 SH-5 (US-277/US-281) – Walters Toll plaza is located at this interchange
Comanche 30 SH-36 west (US-277 south/US-281 south) – Geronimo, Faxon, Frederick West end of US-277/US-281 overlap
Lawton 33
US-281 Bus. north (11th Street)
36A SH-7 east (Lee Boulevard) – Duncan Signed as exits 36A (east) and 36B (west) westbound
37 Gore Boulevard
39B
US-281 Bus. south – Lawton		 Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
39A Cache Road – Lawton Business District Former US-62 west
40A US-62 west (Rogers Lane) – Cache, Altus Signed as exits 40A (east) and 40B (west) westbound
Fort Sill
40C Gate 2 closed
41 Fort Sill Key Gate
45 SH-49 – Carnegie, Medicine Park
46 US-62 east / US-277 north / US-281 north – Elgin, Apache, Anadarko Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; east end of US-62/US-277/US-281 overlap
Elgin 53 US-277 – Fletcher, Elgin, Sterling
62 Fletcher, Cyril, Sterling Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Grady Toll plaza
Chickasha 80 US-81 (US-277) – Duncan, Chickasha
83 US-62 (US-277) – Chickasha, Anadarko
Toll plaza
99A H. E. Bailey Spur – Blanchard, Norman
99B SH-4 – Yukon, Mustang, Tuttle
McClain
North end of H. E. Bailey Turnpike
Newcastle 107 US-62 west / US-277 south – Newcastle, Blanchard West end of US-62 overlap
108 SH-37 west – Minco, Tuttle West end of SH-37 overlap
108A Frontage Road Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Cleveland Oklahoma City 109 Southwest 149th Street
110 SH-37 east (Southwest 134th Street) – Moore East end of SH-37 overlap
111 Southwest 119th Street
112 Southwest 104th Street
Oklahoma 113 Southwest 89th Street
114 Southwest 74th Street
115 I-240 east / US-62 east / SH-3 east – Dallas, Fort Smith East end of US-62 overlap; west end of SH-3 overlap; no exit number westbound
116A Southwest 59th Street
116B SH-152 west (Airport Road)
117A Southwest 44th Street Signed as exit 117B westbound
118 Southwest 29th Street Former SH-152
119 Southwest 15th Street
120 I-40 – Amarillo, Fort Smith Signed as exits 120A (west) and 120B (east)
121 Northwest 10th Street – Fair Park Signed as exits 121A (east) and 121B (west)
122 Northwest 23rd Street
123A Northwest 36th Street Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
SH-3 west / SH-74 north (Hefner Parkway) East end of SH-3 overlap
123B SH-66 west – Warr Acres, Bethany West end of SH-66 overlap; Former US-66
124 North May Avenue
125A North Penn Avenue
125B Classen Boulevard
125C SH-3A (Northwest Expressway) Eastbound exit is via exit 125A
126 Western Avenue
127 I-235 / US-77 (Broadway Extension) – Downtown Oklahoma City, Edmond
128A Lincoln Boulevard  – State Capitol
128B Kelley Avenue
129 M.L. King Avenue
130 I-35 west to I-40 – Oklahoma City, Dallas West end of I-35 overlap; no exit number westbound
134 Wilshire Boulevard
135 Britton Road
136 Hefner Road
137 Northeast 122nd Street
I-35 north / SH-66 east – Tulsa, Wichita East end of I-35/SH-66 overlap
138B Kilpatrick Turnpike No exit number westbound
Lincoln
South/west end of Turner Turnpike
146 Luther/Jones Westbound Entrance/Eastbound Exit
Wellston 158 SH-66 – Wellston Former US-66
Chandler 166 Chandler,Ok Cushing,Ok and Perkins,OK
Stroud 179 SH-99 – Stroud, Drumright
Creek Toll plaza
Bristow 196 SH-48 (SH-66) – Bristow, Lake Keystone Former US-66
211 SH-33 / SH-66 – Drumright, Kellyville Former US-66
Sapulpa 215 SH-97 – Sapulpa, Sand Springs
218A SH-66 – Sapulpa
North/east end of Turner Turnpike
218 Creek Turnpike east Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
Tulsa 221A 57th West Avenue Westbound exit only
221B SH-66 west – Bristow, Sapulpa Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; west end of SH-66 overlap
222A 49th West Avenue
222C 56th Street Westbound exit only
222B 55th Place Eastbound exit only
223A I-244 east – Downtown Tulsa
223B 51st Street (via Gilcrease Expressway) Signed as exit 1B eastbound
Tulsa 223C 33rd West Avenue
224 Union Avenue
224 US-75 – Okmulgee, Bartlesville
225 Elwood Avenue Eastbound exit is part of exit 224
226A Riverside Drive
226B Peoria Avenue
227 Lewis Avenue
228 Harvard Avenue
229 Yale Avenue
230 41st Street, Sheridan Road
231 US-64 / SH-51 to US-169 – Muskogee, Broken Arrow, Downtown Tulsa
232 East 31st Street, Memorial Drive Eastbound exit is part of exit 231
233 East 21st Street Signed as exit 233B westbound
234A US-169 – Owasso, Broken Arrow No eastbound exit to US-169 south, use exit 231
234B Garnett Road Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
235 East 11th Street Former US-66
236 129th East Avenue
236B I-244 west / US-412 west – Sand Springs, Enid Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; west end of US-412 overlap
Rogers 238 161st East Avenue
240 SH-167 north (193rd East Avenue)
241 SH-66 east – Claremore, Catoosa No eastbound entrance; east end of SH-66 overlap; no exit number westbound
33A US-412 east – Chouteau, Siloam Springs East end of US-412 overlap; no exit number eastbound
Creek Turnpike west – Oklahoma City
South/west end of Will Rogers Turnpike
35 East Pine Street Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
248 SH-266 west – Port of Catoosa, Claremore To Former US-66
255 SH-20 – Pryor, Claremore
Mayes 269 SH-28 – Chelsea, South Grand Lake, Adair Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
Craig Big Cabin 283 US-69 – Big Cabin
Toll plaza
Vinita 289 US-60 (US-69) to SH-66 – Vinita Former US-66
Ottawa 302 US-59 / US-60 (US-69) – Fairland, Grove, Afton US-59 (US-69) is former US-66
Miami 313 SH-10 – Miami
North/east end of Will Rogers Turnpike

References

  1. ^ Stuve, Eric. "Interstate Highways at OKHighways.com". OKHighways. http://okhighways.com/interstates.html. Retrieved 2007-11-11. 
  2. ^ "I-240 Section Changing to I-44". The Daily Oklahoman. 1982-10-09. 
  3. ^ a b Skelly Oil Company. Highway Map of Oklahoma (Map). Cartography by Diversified Map Co (1966 ed.). Section 11C. 
Interstate 44
Previous state:
Texas		 Oklahoma Next state:
Missouri