South Tulsa Bridge Project Faces Road Improvement Hurdles

Councilor says surrounding roads must be widened before any new bridge can be built

Mar. 11, 2026 at 2:38am

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A proposed new bridge over the Arkansas River in South Tulsa is facing calls for significant road improvements to the surrounding area before the project can move forward. City Councilor Phil Lakin insists that Riverside Drive must be widened and extended, and the bridge cannot directly connect to the two-lane Yale Avenue, which has neighborhoods and a school nearby. Lakin also wants improvements at the 121st/Yale intersection, which is currently a 3-way stop connecting two-lane roads.

Why it matters

The surrounding roads in South Tulsa are currently all two-lane, and Councilor Lakin believes they are already over capacity. Any new bridge project would need to address these infrastructure challenges to handle the increased traffic flow and protect the existing neighborhoods in the area.

The details

The Oklahoma Legislature is advancing a bill to authorize the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority to study a bridge to serve Bixby. Representative Mark Tedford of Jenks is sponsoring the bill, saying there seems to be good community demand for the project. However, Councilor Lakin insists the bridge cannot directly connect to Yale Avenue and that Riverside Drive and the 121st/Yale intersection must be widened and improved first. There are also large open tracts of land south of 121st and Yale where some bridge connections could potentially go, without intruding on existing neighborhoods.

  • The Oklahoma Legislature is currently advancing a bill to authorize the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority to study a bridge project in South Tulsa.
  • The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority said the study for the locally requested project would begin once the legislation takes effect.

The players

Phil Lakin

The Tulsa City Councilor who represents South Tulsa and is insisting that road improvements must happen before any new bridge project can move forward.

Mark Tedford

The Oklahoma state representative from Jenks who is sponsoring the bill to authorize the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority to study a bridge project to serve Bixby.

Markwayne Mullin

The U.S. Senator from Oklahoma who has emerged as a supporter of the South Tulsa bridge project and has offered to push for federal funding to build some of the connection points.

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What they’re saying

“They absolutely must be five lanes before any bridge is built or ties into those roads. Right now they're way over capacity.”

— Phil Lakin, Tulsa City Councilor

“I think there's a window of time right now where this project can be put together. I think there seems to be a lot of community leaders motivated, and there seems to be good demand.”

— Mark Tedford, Oklahoma State Representative

What’s next

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority said the study for the locally requested South Tulsa bridge project would begin once the legislation takes effect. The process would start with a feasibility study of possible routes and costs.

The takeaway

This proposed bridge project in South Tulsa faces significant hurdles around the need for major road improvements to the surrounding two-lane infrastructure before any new bridge can be built. Addressing these transportation challenges will be crucial to ensuring the project can move forward in a way that protects existing neighborhoods and handles the increased traffic flow.