Tulsa Interchange Project Set To Resume After Long Delay, Local Businesses Concerned

The Linda-Mar Drive In remains busy with lunch traffic, but right outside the restaurant, things have been at a standstill for some time.

“This thing should’ve been done,” said Mike McCutchen, owner of Linda-Mar Drive-In, referring to the long-delayed construction at the I-44 and Highway 75 interchange, known to some locals as "Tulsa Stonehenge."

Related: 'Tulsa's Stonehenge': Video Of Unfinished Tulsa Construction Goes Viral; ODOT Comments On The Process

The large stone platforms, completed by ODOT crews in 2022, were supposed to be the foundation for new ramps. But construction has been paused for over a year and a half, leaving the area unfinished.

“Probably came up short in our estimating on some of the items,” said ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz, explaining that costs exceeded expectations.

On Monday, the Oklahoma Transportation Commission voted to award $252 million to finally complete the interchange.

“We’re just kind of waiting to see what the plans are,” McCutchen said, noting the uncertainty about how this next phase of construction will impact his business.

When construction first began, 51st Street was nearly blocked off, creating significant problems for the drive-in. McCutchen recalled the struggle to keep the business open: “We almost had to close, it was horrible. You couldn’t get in and out of the drive-thrus.”

Next door, Cliff Mordhorst, who owns the strip mall, also remembers the chaos: “It was hard for anybody to get in there, a bunch of machinery always in our parking lot.”

Both McCutchen and Mordhorst initially thought the project was nearing completion, only to discover that it's actually just getting started again.

“Now we’re getting ready for another nightmare, I think,” McCutchen said.

ODOT officials say construction is expected to resume in the spring of 2025 and will take up to two and a half years to finish the project.