Interstate 44 in Oklahoma

Infobox road
state=OK
route=44
type=I


alternate_name=
maint=ODOT
length_mi=328.53
length_round=2
length_ref=cite web|last=Stuve|first=Eric|url=http://okhighways.com/interstates.html|work=OKHighways|title=Interstate Highways at OKHighways.com|accessdate=2007-11-11]
year_established=1956
direction_a=West
terminus_a=
junction=Jct|state=OK|I|240 in Oklahoma City Jct|state=OK|I|40 in Oklahoma City Jct|state=OK|I|235 in Oklahoma City jct|state=OK|I|35 in Oklahoma City
direction_b=East
terminus_b=Jct|state=MO|I|44 near Miami
previous_type=SH
previous_route=43
next_type=SH
next_route=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 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.

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 an eastern terminus at I-35 in Oklahoma City, the current eastern 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.cite news|publisher=The Daily Oklahoman|title=I-240 Section Changing to I-44|date=1982-10-09] 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.cite map | publisher=Skelly Oil Company | title=Highway Map of Oklahoma | cartography=Diversified Map Co | edition=1966 | section=11C] The freeway section through Lawton was the Pioneer Expressway.

Exit list

References