Study launching on removal of I-244 from Greenwood District
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — There's an irony to it as big and bold as the sign itself. That 'Welcome to Greenwood' is painted on the foundation of an overpass that cuts right through the heart of the area.
"Today, we have an opportunity to get it right," said Rep. Regina Goodwin, launching a study about the removal of the bridges.
"We have folks from Milwaukee that have already done this project. So they can show us how it’s done. They can talk about the planning, how they removed a similar expressway," she said.
"I know it would be a tedious task, but I think it's one that needs to be done," said local businesswoman Cyndii Cosper. She says as it is now, not only is it an eyesore, but it also isolates the area.
"There are no exits on it and so there’s no access to it which really cuts off the prosperity because people can’t easily get to it," she said.
"How was the traffic before the expressway was put there?" asked Angela Robinson of Black Wall Street Corner Store & More.
What does she think removal will do for the area?
"I truly believe that it will start the healing process maybe, allow us to put more businesses in this area and hopefully regain some type of control of an area that we once controlled," she said.
Removing I-244 would be quite a task, just look at the massive effort to remove Highway 75 and rebuild it over I-44.
So for all the folks saying, 'Oh man, what would this do to the community?'
"For all the folks, 'Oh may what would this do to the community?' Well we can say it again, we’ll be able to say, what will this do to the community, it will enhance the community," said Rep. Goodwin.
