Work to start at Frank Phillips and move south; expect delays
Work is set to get underway on the Oklahoma Department of Transportation U.S. Highway 75 resurfacing project, City of Bartlesville Director of Engineering Micah Siemers said recently. The $5,665,000 project is a mill and overlay of U.S. Highway 75 from Road 2400 to just south of Frank Phillips Boulevard.
“The contractor, APAC, may start mobilizing equipment as early as this week, but they won’t officially start work until Oct. 4,” Siemers said. “They will work from north to south, so they will begin just south of Frank Phillips Boulevard where the concrete turns to asphalt.”
Siemers said no patch work is planned on the project — “it is strictly a mill and overlay,” he said — but the milling process will be a little different than generally used.
“Rather than only milling the top two inches and going back with two inches, they are milling anywhere from three to four inches of asphalt and going back with the same,” Siemers said. “This will make work and access to side streets and driveways a bit more difficult as there will be such an abrupt drop-off when entering and exiting side streets and drives.”
Siemers said contract crews will be permitted to work on only two miles at a time, and that the project has been phased accordingly.
“The first couple of phases at the north end will be shorter lengths, and then once they get past Nowata Road/U.S. Highway 60 they will work on longer sections since there are not as many traffic signals and the area is not quite as congested,” he said.
Phase 1
From just south of Frank Phillips Boulevard to just north of Nowata Road.
Phase 2
Essentially includes the intersection of Nowata Road and Washington Boulevard. This phase starts just north of Nowata Road and ends just south of Nowata Road.
Phase 3
From just south of Nowata Road to just north of Rice Creek/2200 Road.
Phase 4
From just north of Rice Creek/2200 Road to just north of 2400 Road.
“Generally, during each phase their plan is to close the outside lanes in each direction, mill one lane, then move milling to the other lane and begin laying asphalt in the first lane while they finish up milling the second lane,” Siemers said. “When the outside lanes are complete they will shift traffic to the outside lanes and begin the same process on the inside lanes and center turn lane.”
Signalized intersections will be set up as flashing four-way stops while crews are working in the intersections and will be returned back to normal operation once they get through the intersection, he said.
“Users can expect periods of up to a full day at a time that the intersections at Frank Phillips, Eastland, Adams Road, Green Country Road, Nowata Road, Price Road, and Camelot/Southport will be a flashing four-way stop, or three-way in the case of Adams Road,” he said. “They will have to periodically close side streets that have more than one point of access and also driveways that have more than one point of access. They will have to maintain access to locations with only one point of access.
“However, while they are working immediately in front of those locations citizens should expect closures or limited access. There is no way to mill or lay asphalt in front of a driveway or street and keep it open while the equipment is immediately in front of that point.”
Siemers said the contractor will try to minimize the duration as much as possible and notify residents or businesses of days they should expect closures. “They will notify the City to get the word out as well,” he said.
The total contract is 75 calendar days less any weather days. Crews will work north to south to get through the busiest areas first and to get past the retail and residential areas as soon as possible.