37th Street widening nearly done as corridor expands

By John Dobberstein, Editor

The long-awaited widening of the northern half of 37^th Street is nearing completion as the city works to improve traffic flow and safety on the arterial.

Broken Arrow voters approved a bond issue in 2014 to widen 37^th Street between Albany and Kenosha Streets on the city’s northeast side.

Work began last spring with the relocation of a waterline, followed by reconstruction of the road, sidewalk and stormwater improvements.

The street will now have dedicated north-south lanes and a turn lane, which should make turns much safer for motorists, said Charlie Bright, the city’s Director of Engineering and Construction.  

Bright notes this project ties into the creation in 2020 of the new 37th Street connecting Albany and Omaha Streets. The area in question has seen an explosion in residential growth the last several years.

Thirty-Seventh Street, also known as 209^th East Avenue, was basically a farming road until the city took it over and created an extension of the thoroughfare. The city has also rehabilitated 37^th Street from Kenosha to Houston streets.