Interstate 444 Oklahoma

History Southern Terminus Northern Terminus

Interstate 444 Tulsa Map - Interstate-Guide

Routing

Interstate 444 forms half of Tulsa's Inner Dispersal Loop (IDL). Most maps display Interstate 444, but there are no signs posted for it. The highway additionally shares pavement with U.S. 64-75 and Oklahoma 51. The plethora of other signed highways in this area is probably the reasoning for not actually signing Interstate 444.

History

A history of the Interstate 444 freeway is provided by Martin McMahon via his Roadklahoma Terminus: Interstate 444. Interstate 444 opened in three segments. In the early 1970s, two legs of Interstate 444 opened to traffic. These spurs stemmed from the existing terminal interchanges with Interstate 244 to the 13th Street off-ramp from the south and to 7th Street off-ramp from the north. Original exit numbering practices saw Exits 94A-D on the southern leg and Exits 96A-C on the northern leg. These numbers stem from the mileage that Interstate 244 continued from Interstate 44 at the southwest of the city. At first Interstate 44 began in Oklahoma City at the west end of the Turner Turnpike. The mileage figures that resulted in 94 and 96 originate from this mileage. Since the two segments acted as spurs of Interstate 244, the numbering convention also applied to them.¹

Several years after the initial two segments of Interstate 444 opened, the extended Broken Arrow Expressway filled the gap. This completed the Interstate 444 Inner Dispersal Loop freeway and saw the removal of the Exit 94 and 96 numbering. The change resulted in the removal of 94 and 96 from the system, leaving the suffixes behind.¹

Southern Terminus - Interstate 244 - southwest of downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma
Perspective from Interstate 444 west
Sign bridge at the end of Interstate 444 westbound. U.S. 75 southbound departs Interstate 444 for Interstate 244. U.S. 64 west and Oklahoma 51 northbound depart Interstate 444 for Interstate 244 north. Note the used of Exit number suffixes even though there is no Exit number. There is a reason for this and Martin McMahon provides in depth history of the numbering anomaly at Side Trips 3: Wherefore Art Thou 94D. Photo taken by Rick Mattioni (09/00).

Westbound on Interstate 444 at the ramp split between west and east Interstate 244. The interchange is situated in tight quarters, as downtown Tulsa is to the northeast and the Arkansas River is just to the south. Photo taken by Ben Prusia (fall of 2001).

A recent sign replacement project (Summer 2003) results in the replacement of all western terminus guide signs. Featured in this photograph is the Interstate 444 westbound split into ramps for Interstate 244 and U.S. 64-75. Note that while the official Oklahoma State Map displays this as Exit 1A/B, no exit numbers are included in the sign replacements. Thus the original Exit "A" and "B" tabs from the Exit 94A/B days are no longer portrayed. Photo taken by Martin McMahon (08/03).
Perspective from Interstate 244 east/U.S. 75 north
The departure of U.S. 75 northbound from Interstate 244 east at the western terminus of Interstate 444/Exit 4B. These signs are also new as of Summer 2003. Photo taken by Martin McMahon (08/03).

Continuing onto the Exit 4B ramp of Interstate 444 east/U.S. 75 north and U.S. 64 east/Oklahoma 51 south reveals this 13th Street & Denver Avenue overhead for the first mainline interchange of Interstate 444. Photo taken by Martin McMahon (08/03).
Perspective from Interstate 244 west
Westbound on Interstate 244, orientated in a southerly fashion at this point, as it approaches the western terminus of Interstate 444. The hidden Interstate carries U.S. 64/75 and Oklahoma 51 on its southern leg. Vidcap taken by Alex Nitzman (05/28/95).

The replacement of the signs above are displayed in this photograph. Exit 5A to the right serves Downtown Tulsa. Interstate 444 is signed with the control city of Broken Arrow. The community is a southeast suburb of Tulsa, located off of Oklahoma 51 near the north end of the Muskogee Turnpike. Photo taken by Eric Stuve (12/01/02).

One-quarter mile out from the western terminus of Interstate 444/Exit 4B. The southern leg of the hidden Interstate, and U.S. 64/Oklahoma 51 eastward, is designated the Broken Arrow Expressway. The freeway directly connects with the Muskogee Turnpike, which eventually leads to Interstate 40 near Webber Falls. Photo taken by Eric Stuve (12/01/02).

Interstate 244 westbound incurs U.S. 75 southbound from Interstate 444 west. The two highways cross the Arkansas River in the background. To the left is the eastbound beginning of Interstate 444/Exit 4B. The ramp also marks the departure of U.S. 64/Oklahoma 51 eastbound from Interstate 244. Photo taken by Eric Stuve (12/01/02).
Northern Terminus - Interstate 244 and U.S. 412 - northeast of downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma
Perspective from Interstate 444 east
Interstate 244/U.S. 412 sign bridge on hidden Interstate 444 east/U.S. 75 northbound as they near Interstate 244. Note that instead of exit numbers, the tabs above indicate the cardinal directions for each highway. These tabs replaced the 96B and 96C exit tabs when U.S. 412 shields were added to the guide signs. Vidcap taken by Alex Nitzman (05/28/95).

Interstate 444/U.S. 75 northbound at the ramp to Interstate 244/U.S. 412 eastbound. U.S. 412 is overlapped with another route throughout the entire Tulsa metropolitan area. Vidcap taken by Alex Nitzman (05/28/95).

A stack interchange facilitates traffic from the North end of Interstate 444 onto Interstate 244/U.S. 412. This view shows signage for the upcoming ramp to Interstate 244 West. The mainline of Interstate 444 continues as just U.S. 75 Northward towards Bartlesville. Photo taken by Alex Nitzman (05/28/95).

Fully reflective replacement of the above button copy signage. Note that U.S. 412 is still omitted and that this is "Exit C" (original Exit 96C). Photo taken by Rick Mattioni (04/01).

End of unsigned Interstate 444, as U.S. 75 continues Northward along the Cherokee Expressway. The control city of Bartlesville is 44 miles to the north. Photo taken by Rick Mattioni (04/01).

New signs now adorn the sign bridge at the Interstate 244/U.S. 412 westbound ramp at the Interstate 444 terminus. Oklahoma City is now included as the Interstate 244 control city. Note that the original Exit 96C gore point sign is still in place. Photo taken by Martin McMahon (08/03).
Perspective from Interstate 244 west
Four westbound lanes carry Interstate 244/U.S. 412 into downtown Tulsa at Exit 8/Delaware Avenue/Lewis Avenue. Exit 6B of U.S. 75 and hidden Interstate 444 is one and a half miles to the west. Photo taken by Eric Stuve (12/01/02).

The downtown Tulsa skyline comes into view as Interstate 244/U.S. 412 pass by Exit 7 - Utica Avenue/Peoria Avenue. Interstate 444/U.S. 75 are now three-fourths of a mile to the west. Photo taken by Eric Stuve (12/01/02).

Interstate 244/U.S. 412 reduce to two westbound lanes through the Exit 6B interchange of Interstate 444/U.S. 75. Exit 6C to 1st Street and Downtown departs to the left. The reassurance panel for Interstate 244 gives precedence to U.S. 412 for some reason. Photo taken by Eric Stuve (12/01/02).

Split of traffic for Interstate 444 south, U.S. 75, Interstate 244/U.S. 412, and 1st Street into Downtown. This is the northeast corner of Tulsa's Inner Dispersal Loop (IDL) or inner belt freeway system. Photo taken by Eric Stuve (12/01/02).
Perspective from Interstate 244 east
Interstate 244/U.S. 412 eastbound at Exit 6B for the U.S. 75 Cherokee Expressway and the northern terminus of Interstate 444. The next exit of Interstate 244 (Exit 7) serves Utica and Lewis Avenues. Just about every signed route (U.S. or state highway) is routed onto freeways throughout the Tulsa metropolitan area. Photo taken by Rick Mattioni (09/00).

Continuing onto the Exit 6B off-ramp of Interstate 244/U.S. 412 eastbound is this sign bridge for the split of traffic for U.S. 75 and Interstate 444 south. Photo taken by Ben Prusia (fall of 2001).