Lewis bridge over I-44 almost done, might not make deadline

It's the last leg of a long and massive expansion on Tulsa's largest highway, and to the great relief of drivers, it's almost over.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation says the Lewis Avenue bridge over Interstate 44 may be done by the deadline, or it may not, depending largely on weather.

The parts that still need to be done involve paving part of the north end and the frontage road that runs north of I-44, connecting it to the bridge.

Paving work, of course, can't be done in the rain.

But ODOT spokeswoman Kenna Carmon tells KRMG that even if they don't get done by the end of July, they have every expectation that the bridge will open in early August.

She says drivers can see the south side all looks done, and some wonder why the bridge can't be at least partially opened.

It doesn't work that way, she told KRMG.

"The bridge has thru lanes and turn lanes, and so we need to make sure everything can get where it needs to go," Carmon said.

The original target date for completion was in June, but weather delays forced the work to be extended well into the summer.