Construction crews poured concrete on the new May Avenue bridge deck Wednesday, Oct. 7, pushing Oklahoma City's $15 million interchange project past a major milestone, as reported by KFOR.

The pour covered the bridge deck and ramps at May Avenue and Northwest Expressway, where the city is building its first diverging diamond interchange (DDI). Shannon Cox, public information officer for Oklahoma City Public Works, said the interchange will be the city's first DDI, though not the state's first.

The intersection has a rough track record. A 10-year collision history published on the city’s project page lists 377 collisions there over the past decade, including one fatality and seven serious injuries. A section of the bridge collapsed May 19, 2016, after a flatbed semi hauling a boom lift struck it in the westbound lanes of Northwest Expressway. At the time, the city estimated the bridge carried about 20,000 vehicles a day.

Voters approved funding for the replacement in 2017. The $15 million budget draws from three sources: an Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG) grant, the city's 2017 bond program and Street Development Fees. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) is partnering with the city on the project.

Crews removed the old bridge after construction began May 26 and placed steel beams in August. Cox said the concrete will need a few weeks to cure, and workers will tackle surrounding elements during that time.

"It is a rather large project to remove a bridge and then to put another one in its place, but the detour has been very helpful," Cox said.

The city's project website lists a 2028 completion date, but Cox said Wednesday that progress has been strong and the interchange is expected to open in summer 2027. Before that can happen, crews still need to install new traffic signals, street lighting and aesthetic enhancements, then tear out the temporary detour lanes.

Detour lanes remain open during construction. Temporary signals direct drivers around the work zone along the busy retail corridor, where Target, Home Depot, Best Buy, Dave and Buster's and Barnes and Noble all sit within a half-mile of the intersection, according to The Oklahoman. Cox encouraged shoppers to keep visiting those businesses while work continues.

Once the concrete cures and remaining elements are in place, crews will remove the temporary detour lanes before the interchange can open to traffic.