CLEVELAND COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) – The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Workplace, ODOT and different businesses are working collectively to make a harmful stretch of freeway safer for drivers.
State Freeway 77 from sixtieth Road to Freeway 39 has seen an uptick within the variety of extreme and deadly crashes.
“There’s horrible drivers, a whole lot of dangerous wrecks on the highway,” mentioned Zach Munday, a Cleveland County resident. “You hear an ambulance like each day. It goes via right here like each day.”
Munday is amongst many drivers in Lexington who tries to keep away from Freeway 77 when potential.
Sadly, that does not occur fairly often.
“I make my appointments on the physician’s down right here round 10 so I keep away from the visitors,” mentioned Lillian White, who lives within the space.
Drivers advised KFOR this freeway is notoriously harmful and proper now, development is not making the scenario any higher.
ODOT is engaged on a number of tasks to widen the freeway, and whereas doing so, staff have reported many reckless drivers zipping via the development zones.
“They’re dashing, yeah they usually go round you realize they usually’re mad since you’re going the velocity restrict,” White mentioned.
The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Workplace says velocity, distracted and drunk driving have all led to an uptick in deadly wrecks on the highway.
So now the company and others are teaming up for Operation U.S. 77 Protected journey – cracking down on unsafe driving on a stretch already powerful to navigate.
“It is a four-lane then it goes to 2, then it goes again to a 4,” mentioned White.
Drivers hope the finished development together with this new security effort will assist make this freeway much less harmful.
“Very worrying, simply going to work each day,” mentioned Munday.
“I will be glad when it is over with,” White mentioned.
ODOT says Freeway 77 from sixtieth to Noble needs to be full in 4 years.
The stretch in Slaughterville and Lexington is midway completed and can proceed all year long.
Powered by WPeMatico
