Construction began Monday on Tulsa’s first Diverging Diamond Interchange, an innovative type of roadway design intended to improve traffic flow and safety.
A Diverging Diamond, or DDI, takes traffic to the opposite side of the road near a high-traffic intersection.
The first DDI in the U.S. was built in Springfield, Missouri in 2009. The design has been implemented in several cities and states since.
Tulsa’s first DDI is under construction in south Tulsa on Memorial Drive at the Creek Turnpike/Highway 169.
When completed, drivers on Memorial will come to a stoplight before passing under the highway overpass. That stoplight will direct traffic to the opposite side of the road before crossing back to the right side of the road after the overpass.
This design allows for traffic exiting the highway to turn left without crossing traffic.
During construction, ODOT said traffic will be reduced to two lanes in each direction. At times, Memorial will narrow to one lane each way.
The $13 million project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2024.
According to ODOT, DDIs are safer, less congested and give drivers better sight distance at turns.
Oklahoma’s first DDI opened in 2020 at I-40 and SH-6 in Elk City.
Click here to watch a video on how a Diverging Diamond Interchange works