Monday, May 10, 2010

US 64: Tulsa's redheaded stepchild

US 64 takes an unusual trek through the Tulsa metro. Most of the highway is duplexed with other roads, and the other roads are considered the dominant road. US 64 and 412 merge at the end of the Cimmaron Turnpike. This road is locally known as either "412" or "Keystone Expressway". In downtown Tulsa along the Inner Dispersal Loop, US 64 piggybacks I-244 for a short distance then piggybacks hidden I-444 and US 75. Then it heads east along a highway that is locally known as "The BA" or Broken Arrow Expressway and sometimes "Highway 51" but rarely "64." The entire stretch of the US 64/OK 51 piggyback has OK 51 as the primary number. The control section map of this area confirms this:


It also confirms that 169 is the main number on the 169/64 overlap. After leaving OK 51, US 64 follows US 169 south. This highway is known locally as "169". I've never heard anybody call it US 64. Even the US 169 signs are placed above the US 64 signs on trailblazer assemblies. Once US 169 ends and US 64 heads south, you would think it would finally get its own identity. You'd be wrong! Because US 64 through Bixby is locally known as "Memorial." US 64 doesn't get its identity back until you get past the Leonard Curve on the south side of Bixby. Poor US 64. It doesn't get the respect it deserves.

2 comments:

  1. Well, I think the reason the BA is inventoried as part of SH 51 instead of US 64 is because 64 bails out in the middle of the control section, as you see there. Even though 64 turns south at Inset No. 16, there is not a break in the control section (72-80) there. 51 is the only highway number on the entirety of that control section, so that's which number it gets.

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  2. Interesting. Couldn't get the whole story from maps.

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