The final phase of the I-44 widening begins Monday and it promises to create some of the worst traffic headaches so far for the massive project to reshape the central transportation corridor through Tulsa.

That's because the $40 million Lewis Avenue Corridor project will completely shut down Lewis Avenue, northbound and southbound, until at least the end of 2013.

The lane closures will start 9:00 a.m. Monday, October 1, after the bulk of the morning rush hour is over.

ODOT spokeswoman Kenna Mitchell says this project is the only one where they have to completely shut down a major thoroughfare for so long.

It is the fourth and final phase of the I-44 widening; the first phase was the Perryman Ditch project, phase 2 was the Harvard Corridor and phase 3 the Peoria Avenue/Riverside Drive Corridor.

In those earlier phases, roads were narrowed and ramps were closed from I-44, but the main north-south roads remained open.

ODOT saved the Lewis Avenue project for last because it would require the street to be shut down and so the new  interchanges at Harvard and Peoria-Riverside could handle the influx of traffic.

ODOT urges drivers to plan their new routes bypassing Lewis Avenue immediately.

"We want to make sure drivers start thinking ahead now for how they're going to get around," Mitchell told KRMG.

KRMG provides live traffic conditions throughout the day and night.