51st & Garnett Intersection Improvements

City of Tulsa, Oklahoma

The intersection of 51st Street South and South Garnett Avenue was showing significant damage. Because of the poor soils and drainage, the intersection had severely faulted pavement panels and broken curbs.

The City of Tulsa contracted Meshek & Associates to provide survey, design, and construction estimates for the reconstruction of the intersection.

Our goal was to improve or replace the portions of the damaged pavement, while preserving areas that were in acceptable condition.

The project was constructed over a reinforced concrete box with minimal cover. Shallow cover and poor backfill conditions required some overexcavation of yielding soil and replacement with stable, compacted soil.

Redesign of the intersection eliminated the raised center median and upgraded ADA compliance with crosswalks, accessible crosswalk traffic controls, and new traffic signals for improved turning movements.

Key elements of the project required:

  • Improvement of the subgrade conditions to provide a stable base for the portland cement concrete street

  • Overexcavation and fill replacement for fast completion for each section

  • Design of doweled sections for improved wheel load transfer across pavement sections

Detailed construction phasing diagrams were required to maintain traffic without street closures throughout the duration of the project.