Southwestern Terminus: I-44, just west of the
eastern terminus of the Turner Turnpike
(Click on the picture for a larger view)
Upper pictures: westbound end of the Creek Turnpike (left: the last exit before the Creek merges with the Turner Turnpike. Right: from just past that last exit, with bridge in the distance being the Turner.)
Lower pictures: Turner Turnpike eastbound, approaching the Creek turnoff. The only access to the Creek in this area from Tulsa is via SH-66, running parallel at this point to I-44, just to the east.
Northeastern Terminus: I-44 just north of US-412, east of Catoosa (continues as I-44/Will Rogers Turnpike)
If you ask almost anybody, they'll tell you that the Creek Turnpike ends and the Will Rogers Turnpike begins where the road crosses US-412, just east of Catoosa.
And almost anybody would be totally wrong.
The actual switchover occurs just as the road in the above picture goes behind the hill to the right, about 1¼ miles north of US-412. (This picture was taken looking north from the Pine St. bridge, one mile due north of 412.) About the same time the Creek was being finished engineers rerouted the end of the Will Rogers Turnpike so that a) the two turnpikes would meet, and b), and more importantly, to alleviate a major congestion problem where the western terminus used to be, far too close to the 193rd E Ave. exit. Many accidents and a few fatalities had occured in that spot, so it was important to move the exit.
Northeastern terminus pictures taken 16 November 2002 (westbound showing old WRT in the distance) and 27 November 2002 (all the others). Southwestern terminus & midpoint pictures taken 7 December 2002.
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Upper pictures: westbound end of the Creek Turnpike (left: the last exit before the Creek merges with the Turner Turnpike. Right: from just past that last exit, with bridge in the distance being the Turner.)
Lower pictures: Turner Turnpike eastbound, approaching the Creek turnoff. The only access to the Creek in this area from Tulsa is via SH-66, running parallel at this point to I-44, just to the east.
A view of the very short free section of the
Creek,
technically the Mingo Valley Expressway, looking east from the Mingo
Road
bridge. Primary traffic is on the MVE, turning to the north. The exit
at
the far right starts the eastern leg of the turnpike. The tallest
bridge
in the distance goes from southbound MVE to the eastern Creek. Oncoming
traffic
passing directly below the camera is coming off the eastern Creek onto
the
westbound MVE, which will become the western Creek in one mile.
Northeastern Terminus: I-44 just north of US-412, east of Catoosa (continues as I-44/Will Rogers Turnpike)
If you ask almost anybody, they'll tell you that the Creek Turnpike ends and the Will Rogers Turnpike begins where the road crosses US-412, just east of Catoosa.
And almost anybody would be totally wrong.
The actual switchover occurs just as the road in the above picture goes behind the hill to the right, about 1¼ miles north of US-412. (This picture was taken looking north from the Pine St. bridge, one mile due north of 412.) About the same time the Creek was being finished engineers rerouted the end of the Will Rogers Turnpike so that a) the two turnpikes would meet, and b), and more importantly, to alleviate a major congestion problem where the western terminus used to be, far too close to the 193rd E Ave. exit. Many accidents and a few fatalities had occured in that spot, so it was important to move the exit.
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(click on one of the above pictures to
see a larger version)
Above Left: View on the Will Rogers westbound. The turn marks the
WR/Creek switchover. Hard to see, but you can tell in the distance that
the
road used to go straight ahead. That's the old Will Rogers portion that
they
diverted. Harder still to see, but the BGS at the far right says "Exit
35/E.
Pine St." The only exit between 412 & the old Will Rogers portion,
and
it uses the exit mileage of the Creek. Good indication that by that
point it is the Creek.
Above Center: view of the Creek looking southbound from the Pine St. bridge. The next two exits are for either direction of 412.
Above Right: The entrance point from Pine to I-44 northbound, and it is pointing you to the Creek Turnpike. And once the on-ramp ends you are indeed on the Creek Turnpike. For about a hundred feet. Then you're on the Will Rogers Turnpike.
Lower Left: US-412 westbound approaching the turnpikes. Here 412 avoids the problem completely (thereby adding to the confusion) by just saying "Turnpike."
Above Left: View on the Will Rogers westbound. The turn marks the
WR/Creek switchover. Hard to see, but you can tell in the distance that
the
road used to go straight ahead. That's the old Will Rogers portion that
they
diverted. Harder still to see, but the BGS at the far right says "Exit
35/E.
Pine St." The only exit between 412 & the old Will Rogers portion,
and
it uses the exit mileage of the Creek. Good indication that by that
point it is the Creek.Above Center: view of the Creek looking southbound from the Pine St. bridge. The next two exits are for either direction of 412.
Above Right: The entrance point from Pine to I-44 northbound, and it is pointing you to the Creek Turnpike. And once the on-ramp ends you are indeed on the Creek Turnpike. For about a hundred feet. Then you're on the Will Rogers Turnpike.
Lower Left: US-412 westbound approaching the turnpikes. Here 412 avoids the problem completely (thereby adding to the confusion) by just saying "Turnpike."
Northeastern terminus pictures taken 16 November 2002 (westbound showing old WRT in the distance) and 27 November 2002 (all the others). Southwestern terminus & midpoint pictures taken 7 December 2002.