South OKC News

Beginning Monday, May 15, 2023, the east side of the intersection at Porter Avenue and Eufaula Street will be closed to construct new paving in conjunction with the Porter Avenue Streetscape 2019 Bond Project. The signals for the intersection will be taken off line to accommodate construction. The signals will be removed over the next several months, to be replaced with new signals at completion of the project. In the meantime, the intersection will be converted to a two-way stop intersection, with stop signs each way on Eufaula Street and non-stop through traffic on Porter Avenue. Drivers are encouraged to take alternate routes to avoid delays.

HISTORY OF THE PROJECT

On April 2, 2019, the citizens of Norman voted in favor of a Bond Issue to finance the local share of nineteen transportation improvement projects. Two of the nineteen 2019 bond projects are the Porter Avenue and Acres Street Intersection Bond Project and the Porter Avenue Streetscape 2019 Bond Project. The Porter Avenue Streetscape 2019 Bond Project consists of design and construction of streetscape elements along the Porter Avenue corridor between Robinson Avenue on the north and Alameda Street on the south. The total construction cost for the project is approximately $5.1 million. Of that, approximately $2.8 million will be paid by federal grant. The remaining $2.3 million will be paid for through the City of Noman 2019 Bond Program.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation conducted a bid opening on October 20, 2022, for the Porter Avenue Streetscape 2019 Bond Project. The low bidder was SAC Services, Inc. of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. ODOT awarded the project on November 7, 2022. This project has a 210-calendar day construction schedule, which will likely result in a fall 2023 completion. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is administering the construction of this project, with the assistance of Atkins. 

Proposed improvements include:

• New sidewalks
• Driveway consolidation or elimination (access management)
• Decorative roadway and pedestrian lighting
• Landscaping
• New curb and gutter
• New Decorative Traffic Signals
• Pedestrian safety improvements

Original source can be found here.