Rogers Lane upgrade restricting left-hand turns for residential side streets

Drivers using Rogers Lane are beginning to see the effects of safety upgrades that include restrictions on what direction some vehicles can turn.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) project was launched in late July as a systematic upgrade of the north Lawton bypass that provides a link between Interstate 44 and U.S. 62, as well as access to Fort Sill on the north and various Lawton neighborhoods and arterials on the south. Work is complete on the first mile segment between Northwest 82nd and Northwest 67th streets, and work crews now are working on the segment between Northwest 67th and Northwest 52nd streets, said Bryce Lawson, Duncan regional engineer for ODOT’s Region 7 office.

While a variety of work is planned — from guardrails to lengthening queuing lanes for vehicles turning at major intersections — the biggest change for those living along the road are measures to prevent left-hand turns for northbound traffic wanting to go west on Rogers Lane.

Side streets will still have access to Rogers Lane, but northbound traffic that wants to make left-hand turns will be allowed to doing so only at intersections with signal lights, Lawson said. There aren’t many residential side streets that directly access Rogers Lane, but six will not be able to make left-hand turns when the project is done early next year, while a seventh (Northwest 40th Street) will see its access completely eliminated, under construction plans outlined by design engineers Freese & Nichols.

Lawson said contractors will build hooded left-turn lanes in the Rogers Lane median at those intersections — Northwest 82nd Street, Northwest 78th Street, Friar Tuck Lane, Northwest 46th Street, Northwest 26th Street and Central Drive. Hooded lanes are essentially an extension of the curb, which provides a type of corridor that allows westbound traffic on Rogers Lane to line up and make a left-hand turn to travel south into those neighborhoods, but prevents a northbound vehicle sitting at that same street from crossing the median to make a left-hand turn to the west.

Lawson said the reason is safety.

“Rogers Lane has become too busy,” he said, explaining those wanting to make left-hand turns to travel west must travel across four lanes of high-speed traffic, meaning they have to carefully gauge vehicles traveling both westbound and eastbound.

In addition, some of the side streets in question are at the bottom of hills, causing sight distance issues. Lawson said the decision to prevent those turns is just another way for ODOT to increase safety measures for the increasingly busy road.

“The intent of the project is to improve the safety for all users on Rogers Lane, and that is to adjust how the access is used,” Lawson said.

Northwest 78th and Northwest 82nd streets already have been modified, and Friar Tuck Lane will be modified as work crews begin the second mile segment between Northwest 67th and Northwest 52nd streets. Lawson said those work crews recently jumped to that second segment and are working on the inside traffic lanes. The upgrades are being accomplished in one-mile segments for the length of the project, which will stretch to Interstate 44. Estimated completion time is January or February 2025, weather depending, Lawson said.

In all, the project will focus on guardrail upgrades, the median modifications, work on traffic signal lights and to make longer queuing lanes at the Northwest 38th, Northwest 52nd and Northwest 67th streets intersections. Additional widening work also will be done at Northwest 67th and Indian Trail Road to permit U turns.

ODOT officials are reminding drivers that the speed limit through work areas is 40 miles per hour and a 12-foot-wide load restriction is in place.

“We know this causing headaches and congestion for everybody that uses Rogers Lane, and we ask everybody to be patient with us,” Lawson said, adding drivers should reduce their speed and obey safety signs in the area. “The work zone is set up to protect workers.”