Editing Interstate 244

{{Short description|Highway in Oklahoma}}
{{About|the Interstate in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Oklahoma]]|the former I-244 in [[Missouri]]|Interstate 270 (Missouri–Illinois)}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox road
| state = OK
| route = 244
| type = I
| map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=250|frame-lat=36.127|frame-long=-95.930|zoom=10|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Interstate 244}}}}
| map_custom = yes
| map_notes = I-244 highlighted in red
| alternate_name = Red Fork Expressway, Crosstown Expressway
| length_mi = 15.75
| length_round = 2
| length_ref = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/interstate_highway_system/routefinder/?redirect|title=Route Log - Auxiliary Routes of the Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 2|publisher=[[Federal Highway Administration]]|access-date=October 5, 2014}}</ref>
| established = 
| spur_type = I
| spur_of = 44
| direction_a = West
| terminus_a = {{jct|state=OK|I|44|SH|66}} in [[Sapulpa, Oklahoma|Sapulpa]]
| junction = *{{jct|state=OK|US|64|US|75|SH|51}} in Tulsa
*{{jct|state=OK|US|64|US|412|SH|51|road|[[L.L. Tisdale Parkway]]}} in Tulsa
* {{jct|state=OK|I|444|US|75}} in Tulsa
* {{jct|state=OK|SH|11}} in Tulsa
* {{jct|state=OK|US|169}} in Tulsa
| direction_b = East
| terminus_b = {{Jct|state=OK|I|44|US|412|SH|66}} in [[Tulsa, Oklahoma|Tulsa]]
| counties = [[Tulsa County, Oklahoma|Tulsa]]
| previous_type = I
| previous_route = 240
| next_type = OK
| next_route = 251A
}}

'''Interstate&nbsp;244''' ('''I-244'''), also known as the '''Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Expressway''' (in honor of [[Martin Luther King Jr.]]) [[List of streets named after Martin Luther King Jr.#Oklahoma|since 1984]], the '''Crosstown Expressway''', and the '''Red Fork Expressway''', is a {{convert|15.8|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} east–west [[Interstate Highway]] bypass route of [[Interstate 44 in Oklahoma|I-44]] around [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]].

At both I-244's western and eastern terminus, the highway connects with I-44. I-244 runs from the western bank of the [[Arkansas River]], across the river and past downtown Tulsa, before running through the northern half of the city and connecting again with I-44.

In downtown Tulsa, I-244 forms the northern and western legs of the "Inner Dispersal Loop". The southern and eastern legs are formed by the [[Unsigned highway|unsigned]] [[Interstate 444|I-444]] (signed as [[U.S. Route 75 in Oklahoma|U.S. Highway&nbsp;75]] (US-75)).

==Route description==
I-244 begins at a stack interchange with I-44 (which is concurrent with [[Oklahoma State Highway 66|State Highway&nbsp;66]] (SH-66) at this point). I-244 continues northeast from here, running parallel to Southwest Boulevard. Two interchanges provide access to 33rd&nbsp;West Avenue, 40th&nbsp;Place, and Southwest Boulevard. [[US-75 (OK)|US-75]] northbound then merges into I-244 eastbound at exit&nbsp;2, forming a [[concurrency (road)|concurrency]] with the Interstate; US-75 south of here is a freeway headed south toward [[Glenpool, Oklahoma|Glenpool]] and [[Okmulgee, Oklahoma|Okmulgee]].<ref name="odot-2013-14-map-tul">{{cite map|publisher=Oklahoma Department of Transportation|title=Official State Map|edition=2013–14|inset=Tulsa|url=http://www.odot.org/maps/state/2013/map_state_2013_inset-tulsa.pdf|access-date=October 13, 2013}}</ref> The next three interchanges only provide partial access to the roads they link to. Exit&nbsp;3A, which lacks a westbound exit ramp, provides access to Southwest Boulevard; exit&nbsp;3B to 21st&nbsp;Street and Union Avenue and exit&nbsp;4A to 17th&nbsp;Street and Southwest Boulevard provide only a westbound exit and eastbound entrance. North of exit&nbsp;4A, I-244 and US-75 cross the Arkansas River.<ref name="ggm"/>

Exit&nbsp;4B marks I-244's entry into the Inner Dispersal Loop (IDL), a ring of freeways encircling [[Downtown Tulsa]]. At exit&nbsp;4B, the southwest corner of the loop, US-75 splits away from I-244, joining [[I-444]], which begins at this interchange and proceeds along the south and east edges of the loop. [[US-64 (OK)|US-64]] and [[SH-51 (OK)|SH-51]] westbound join I-244 at this interchange, continuing along the westside of the loop with the Interstate. Two partial interchanges, exits&nbsp;4C and 5A, provide access to Downtown Tulsa streets. I-244 then reaches the northwest corner of the IDL. At this point lies an interchange with two other freeways. US-64 and SH-51 split away from I-444 here to join westbound [[US-412 (OK)|US-412]], forming the Keystone Expressway. The [[L.L. Tisdale Parkway]] continues north from here. I-244 turns east from here, following the north leg of the IDL, joined by US-412 eastbound, which will overlap I-244 for the remainder of the highway. Three more exits to downtown streets are along this leg of the loop. At the northeast corner of the loop, I-244 junctions with I-444, which ends at this interchange, and US-75, which continues north toward [[Bartlesville, Oklahoma|Bartlesville]]. I-244 and US-412 exit the loop on an easterly course.<ref name="odot-2013-14-map-tul"/>

East of the IDL, I-244 and US-412 run generally parallel to Admiral Place. This segment of the Interstate provides access to several major north–south streets, including Lewis, Harvard, and Yale avenues.<ref name="odot-2013-14-map-tul"/> The interchanges at Sheridan Road and Memorial Drive are [[inverted single-point urban interchange]]s (SPUI) with lefthand entrance and exit ramps intersecting the surface street at a single traffic signal.<ref name="ggm"/> East of here, I-244 intersects the Gilcrease Expressway again at its eastern terminus; this interchange also forms the eastern terminus of [[SH-11 (OK)|SH-11]], which runs along the Gilcrease for its easternmost stretch. The next interchange to the east, serving Mingo Road, provides an exit for eastbound traffic and an entry to westbound traffic. I-244 then junctions with [[US-169 (OK)|US-169]], the Mingo Valley Expressway (a freeway). East of US-169 lies a [[parclo interchange]] with Garnett Road and a partial interchange, providing only an eastbound exit and westbound entrance, with 129th&nbsp;East Avenue. I-244 then reaches its eastern terminus at a [[yield sign]], where it merges into eastbound I-44/SH-66. US-412 continues east along I-44.<ref name="odot-2013-14-map-tul"/>

==History==
I-244 was completed in December&nbsp;1975. It was named the Martin Luther King Jr. Expressway east from Downtown by the Oklahoma Highway Commission in 1984.

The spans carrying I-244/US-75 across the Arkansas River to Downtown Tulsa were built in 1967. A $78 million (equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|78000000|2011}}}} in {{inflation/year|US-GDP}}{{inflation/fn|US-GDP}}) project commenced in April&nbsp;2011 to replace the westbound bridge. The new westbound bridge across the Arkansas River opened to traffic on December&nbsp;19, 2012.

Work started on the new eastbound bridge on June&nbsp;7, 2013. A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on September&nbsp;15, 2014, for the completion of the span.
{{Clear}}

==Future==
{{infobox road small
|header_type=UC
|state=OK
|type=Future
|route=42
|formed=
|location= [[Interstate 35 in Oklahoma|Interstate 35]] to [[Springdale, Arkansas]]
|length_mi= 190
}}
More recently, the [[Greenwood District, Tulsa|Greenwood District]] in [[Tulsa]] has called for the removal of the I-244 corridor, which is seen as just as damaging to the community as the [[Tulsa race massacre]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Greenwood residents, lawmakers call for removal of I-244 |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/greenwood-residents-lawmakers-call-for-removal-of-i-244/ar-AA11n9AJ |access-date=29 April 2023 |work=MSN}}</ref> However, the segment is also part of the future [[Interstate 42 (Oklahoma–Arkansas)|I-42]] corridor, making this unlikely.<ref>{{AASHTO minutes |year=2024S |access-date=2024-06-02 |link=yes}}</ref>
{{clear}}

==Exit list==
{{jcttop|exit|state=OK|county=Tulsa|length_ref=<ref name="ggm">{{Google maps | url = https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=I-244+E&daddr=I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E&hl=en&ll=36.1534,-95.94223&spn=0.1691,0.308647&sll=36.165458,-95.860916&sspn=0.005284,0.009645&geocode=FcymJgIdOIlG-g%3BFUCvJgIdLJBG-g%3BFabNJgIdqLRG-g%3BFeTxJgIdbNxG-g%3BFfMHJwIdwPlG-g%3BFdZEJwIdVgZH-g%3BFflcJwIdpQdH-g%3BFcB1JwIdcQxH-g%3BFSiGJwIdFhlH-g%3BFQ6PJwIdcx9H-g%3BFRShJwIdOCFH-g%3BFY2zJwIdjCJH-g%3BFR-7JwId_SVH-g%3BFYfIJwIdf0dH-g%3BFRjEJwId-l9H-g%3BFRq-JwIdy4FH-g%3BFYi-JwIdiahH-g%3BFbbCJwIdVu5H-g%3BFaK_JwIdEyBI-g%3BFXG-JwIdJ1dI-g%3BFSDNJwIdOJ1I-g%3BFc7IJwIdheJI-g%3BFevIJwId7fJI-g%3BFSTQJwIdNBhJ-g%3BFXPUJwId2kZJ-g&mra=mi&mrsp=24&sz=17&t=m&z=12| title = Interstate 244—Western Terminus Through Exit 13C | accessdate =  October 12, 2013}}<br/>{{Google maps | url = https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=I-244+E&daddr=I-244+E+to:I-244+E+to:I-244+E&hl=en&ll=36.164488,-95.844469&spn=0.021134,0.038581&sll=36.161855,-95.827475&sspn=0.021135,0.038581&geocode=FXPUJwId2EZJ-g%3BFQraJwIdVXRJ-g%3BFfvaJwIdKKhJ-g%3BFVTIJwIdYc1J-g&mra=dme&mrsp=3&sz=15&t=m&z=15| title = Interstate 244—Exit 14 Through Eastern Terminus | accessdate =  }}</ref>}}
{{OKint|exit
|location=Sapulpa
|lspan=2
|mile=0.0
|road={{jct|state=OK|I|44|SH|66|dir1=west|dir2=west|city1=Sapulpa|city2=Oklahoma City}}
|notes=Western terminus
}}
{{OKint|exit
|mile=0.1
|exit=1A
|road={{jct|state=OK|I|44|SH|66|dir1=east|dir2=east|location1=[[Joplin, MO|Joplin]]|location2=[[St Louis, MO|St Louis]]}}
|type=incomplete
|notes=Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; exit 223A on I-44
}}
{{OKint|exit
|location=Oakhurst
|mile=0.2
|exit=1B
|road=51st Street
|type=incomplete
|notes=Westbound exit only
}}
{{OKint|exit
|location=Tulsa
|lspan=25
|mile=1.0
|exit=1C
|road=33rd West Avenue
}}
{{OKint|exit
|mile=1.9
|exit=1D
|road=40th Place /  Southwest Boulevard
}}
{{OKint|exit
|mile=2.5
|exit=2
|road={{jct|state=OK|US|75|dir1=south|city1=Glenpool|city2=Okmulgee}}
|type=concur <!--also incomplete-->
|notes={{ccr-end|West|US-75}}; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=3A
|mile=3.6
|road=Southwest Boulevard
|type=incomplete
|notes=No westbound exit
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=3B
|mile=4.0
|road=23rd Street
|type=incomplete
|notes=Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=4A
|mile=4.4
|road=17th Street / Southwest Boulevard
|type=incomplete
|notes=Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=4B
|mile=4.7
|road={{jct|state=OK|name3={{jct|state=OK|I|444|dir1=east|noshield=yes}}|US|64|dir1=east|US|75|dir2=north|SH|51|dir3=east|city1=Broken Arrow|city2=Bartlesville}}
|type=concur
|notes={{ccr-end|East|US-75}}; {{ccr-end|west|US-64/SH-51}}
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=4C
|mile=4.9
|road=7th Street&nbsp;&ndash; [[Downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma|Downtown Tulsa]]
|type=incomplete
|notes=Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=5A
|mile=5.2
|road=2nd Street&nbsp;&ndash; [[Downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma|Downtown Tulsa]]
|type=incomplete
|notes=Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=5
|mile=5.5
|mile2=5.6
|road={{jct|state=OK|US|64|dir1=west|US|412|dir2=west|SH|51|dir3=west|road|[[L.L. Tisdale Parkway]] north|city1=Sand Springs|city2=Enid}}
|type=concur
|notes=Signed as exits 5B (west) and 5C (north); {{ccr-end|east|US-64/SH-51}}; {{ccr-end|west|US-412}}; southern terminus of L.L. Tisdale Parkway
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=6A
|mile=6.2
|road=Cincinnati Avenue / Detroit Avenue
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=6B
|mile=6.6
|road={{jct|state=OK|name1={{jct|state=OK|I|444|dir1=west|noshield=yes}}|US|75|city1=Bartlesville|city2=Okmulgee}}
|notes=Exits 3B-C on US 75
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=6C
|mile=7.1
|road=1st Street&nbsp;&ndash; [[Downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma|Downtown Tulsa]]
|type=incomplete
|notes=Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=7
|mile=7.7
|road=Utica Avenue / Lewis Avenue / Peoria Avenue
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=8
|mile=8.7
|road=Delaware Avenue / Lewis Avenue
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=9
|mile=9.4
|road=Harvard Avenue
|type=incomplete
|notes=Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=10
|mile=10.2
|road=Yale Avenue
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=11
|mile=11.3
|road=Sheridan Road&nbsp;&ndash; [[Tulsa Zoo]]
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=12A
|mile=12.3
|road=Memorial Drive
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=12B
|mile=12.5
|road={{jct|state=OK|SH|11|name1=[[Gilcrease Expressway]]|dir1=west|location1=[[Tulsa International Airport]]}}
|notes=Eastern terminus of SH-11
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=13A
|mile=13.0
|road=Mingo Road
|type=incomplete
|notes=Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=13
|mile=13.7
|road={{jct|state=OK|US|169|name1=Mingo Valley Expressway|city1=Owasso|city2=Nowata}}
|notes=Signed as exits 13B (south) and 13C (north)
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=14
|mile=14.4
|road=Garnett Road
}}
{{OKint|exit
|exit=15
|mile=15.1
|road=129th East Avenue
|type=incomplete
|notes=Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
}}
{{OKint|exit
|mile=15.7
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=OK|I|44|US|412|dir1=east|dir2=east|dir3=east|SH|66|location1=[[Joplin, Missouri|Joplin]]}}
|notes=Eastern terminus; eastern end of US-412 concurrency; exit 236B on I-44
}}
{{jctbtm|keys=concur,incomplete}}

==References==
{{AttachedKML|display=title,inline}}
{{Reflist}}

{{3di|44}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:44-2}}
[[Category:Auxiliary Interstate Highways|44-2]]
[[Category:Interstate Highways in Oklahoma|44-2]]
[[Category:Interstate 44|2]]
[[Category:Transportation in Tulsa, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Transportation in Tulsa County, Oklahoma|Interstate 244]]