Construction work on State Highway 76 (Council Avenue) between State Highway 37 and State Highway 30 in Newcastle will impact traffic patterns in the area. The work is hoped to begin on March 10, but that date is not set in stone.
Regardless of the start, travelers on this stretch of road need to be ready for approximately 450 days of work that, when finished, will add shoulders in some areas and turn lanes at key intersections.
Haskell Lemon Group contractors was selected for the $23,209,554 project by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, and note that drivers can expect lane closures and narrowing of the roadway at times.
A preconstruction meeting was held Wednesday, February 26 at the Newcastle Storm Shelter with about 20-25 people attending from Haskell Lemon Construction, Jacobs Engineering and the City of Newcastle.
SH-76WIDENING: Road to be a‘super two’lane
City Manager Kevin Self said, “They are going to reconstruct 76 to a super two highway. It will still have a northbound and a southbound lane, but also a turn lane along the route where you can turn on the section line roads.”
Self noted turn lanes to be added at SH-130, N.W. 16th Street, N.W. 24th Street, and SH-37.
He said the turn lane at SH130 would be a little different.
“As you are approaching 76B westbound, 130 will receive a right-hand turn lane, a straight thru lane and a left turn lane,” Self said. “As you are going north on SH76 and you want to make a righthand turn, they will put in a slit ramp with a yield sign.”
He indicated that this is similar to what we have now at SH-76 and SH-37 when drivers are making a righthand turn onto SH-76.
“Basically, what this will do is take the flow of traffic that wants to make a righthand turn out of the flow on SH-76,” Self said.
The City Manager said there may be temporary signalization utilized to help ensure drivers slow down at SH76 and SH-130. He said this is a safety measure as opposed to having a flagger posted in the area.
Self said he was pleased to report that when ODOT went through SH-76 purchasing right-of-way, they purchased enough for a future five-lane highway. He said this means that the property owners in the area won’t have to worry about their property being taken.
“I’m glad they got it done in one fell swoop,” Self said.
