Work begins soon to turn Mingo Road from 71st Street to 81st Street from a two-lane road into a five-lane road.
The $7.4 million Vision Tulsa project will begin in mid-August and is expected to take about 13 months. City officials held a groundbreaking ceremony for it Wednesday.
City Councilor Lori Decter Wright represents the area. She said with a shopping district to the north, medical facilities — including a new VA medical center that's under construction — to the south and hundreds of new residents in between, it’s time for two lanes in both directions and a center turn lane.
"It’s a great way to connect better and in a more safe way for not just neighborhood residents, but for folks who are going to be out here seeking medical treatments, going to work, or, of course, shopping and enjoying our restaurants," Decter Wright said.
Longtime area resident Frank Gaddy said the corridor is a common route for students walking to Union High School.
"But there’s not sidewalks. They’re walking either in the mud or in the street, and the cars down here don’t adhere to any kind of speed limit. So, their lives are in danger constantly, just to try to get to school," Gaddy said.
The widening project includes sidewalks on both sides. More than 18,000 cars a day drive that stretch of road.
Vision Tulsa included $15 million for work in the south Mingo corridor. Additional work is planned for Mingo Road between 81st and 91st streets and for 91st Street between Mingo and Memorial roads.
