 A new widening project will begin April 10 in front of Broken Arrow High School from 9th Street (Lynn Lane) to County Line Road (23rd Street).
Our city streets are used by residents, business owners, and visitors in our community, and because of that, we continually strive to maintain and improve our roadway system.
There are two new roadway widening projects that will begin soon here in Broken Arrow. The first one will start around April 10 on Albany Street, from 9th Street to 23rd Street, in front of Broken Arrow High School.
This project will widen West Albany Street (61st St.) to five lanes, from Lynn Lane to County Line Road. The project includes new curbs and gutters, improvements to the intersection of Albany and 23rd Streets, and the construction of sidewalks on both sides of Albany Street.
Please note that left turns will not be permitted at the intersection of 23rd and Albany Streets beginning April 10.
This project will be managed by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. The city has been working with ODOT and Broken Arrow Public Schools to update the public about this important improvement project and we will continue to provide you with timely updates as the work continues through March of next year.
A second widening project will begin on 37th Street from Houston to Kenosha Streets. This project will improve the current two-lane street to a three-lane roadway with a curb, gutter, drainage system, and ADA-compliant sidewalks. The contractor will begin implementing new traffic control and moving dirt in the first week of April.
The Utilities Department will install new sanitary sewer crossings at 37th Street in which will require detours March 20 at 7 a.m. through April 7 at 7 a.m.
Near downtown, let’s talk about the improvements project on 1st Street, from Elgin to Kenosha Streets. The contractor has completed 90% of the curb, gutters, and sidewalks throughout the project. A new 6-inch PVC waterline has been installed along 1st Street and is currently tying in the line to all the residential meters in that area. In the coming weeks, the top few inches of the entire roadway will be removed, and new asphalt will be laid down. This project is expected to be finished in early May.
Now let's go south and talk about the New Orleans Intersection Improvements. The contractor is currently working within the northwest corner of the intersection. They are laying the concrete behind the curb and the seat walls, adding pavers for the landings, and preparing the pads for the decorative lighting and landscaping. Irrigation installation is underway behind the curbs and the islands, and new lighting is also now going in at the intersection.
Also, a new traffic configuration will be implemented March 10-20th for contractors to safely construct the center medallion section of the intersection. This work will be done to coincide with the Broken Arrow Public Schools Spring Break. Traffic signs have been placed in the area alerting the traveling public of the upcoming traffic shift.
Over on east New Orleans Street at the Widening Project by Events Park, the contractor has finished installing the asphalt for the new roadway. The concrete driveways and sidewalks throughout the project are also done. And, best of all, the street is fully open. The contractor will put down the asphalt on the new 10-foot trail on the north side, weather permitting, within the next couple of weeks. After the final asphalt is down, the contractor will finish grading the edges and install the sod. This project should finish this month with the exception of the replacement of the damaged signal at 209th Street. The signal is being built and will take a few months to complete.
Korean War Memorial dedication scheduled for March 21
 The late J. David Nunneley's final bronze statue will be dedicated at Veterans Park on March 21 at 1 p.m. Nunneley meticulously sculpted clay by hand into what would become a larger-than-life monument honoring American soldiers who served in the Korean War.
“The Forgotten War” will be remembered forever in Broken Arrow with the dedication of a new Korean War Memorial at Veterans Park, 1111 S. Main St., on March 21 at 1 p.m.
Mayor Debra Wimpee spoke about adding this important monument to the memorials already on display at the park.
“The Korean War Memorial recognizes the American sacrifice of veterans who valiantly fought and died for this noble mission,” Mayor Wimpee said . “Broken Arrow is a city that respects, honors, and remembers our past and present veterans. We hope this memorial will be a place of reflection and education for all who see it.”
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, nearly 1.8 million U.S. military members served in the Korean War between 1950 and 1953, and 36,574 paid the ultimate sacrifice.
The statue depicts the likeness of a U.S. soldier wearing a heavy coat and holding a rifle while standing in snow surveying the landscape during the Korean War. It stands approximately 80 inches tall, weighs around 800 pounds, and took nearly a year to sculpt.
The City Council authorized a contract with J. David Nunneley for the Korean War Memorial sculpture in Sept. 2021. Unfortunately, Mr. Nunneley died in February 2023, and didn't get to see his last work installed. It is the second monument at Veterans Park sculpted by the Broken Arrow artist.
“It’s a good feeling to be honored with the contract and commissioned for this monument,” Nunneley said at the time.
The American soldier in the Korean War is the second of Nunneley’s sculptures at Veterans Park. The first was the Vietnam War monument, American Patriot, installed in 2005. That statue depicts Broken Arrow High School graduate Maj. William H. (Hank) Miesner, Jr., during his service in Vietnam.
Nunneley completed more than 24 life-size and larger monuments installed across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, including many in Broken Arrow and the Tulsa metro area.
The Korean War Memorial cost $162,200 and was paid for through the Parks Capital Fund.
 Residents gathered at Vanguard Academy to hear City and County officials discuss upcoming improvements to streets in northeast and southwest Broken Arrow.
City and County officials met one on one with residents at a crowded Vanguard Academy cafeteria on Feb. 28 and discussed street improvement projects in northeast and southwest Broken Arrow.
It was the second time in the last 18 months that officials from the City of Broken Arrow and Tulsa County held a forum to gain public input on upcoming street projects.
"This [meeting] is really about you having the opportunity to engage with the engineering and construction team and the city and county officials to discuss projects that are currently under construction or will be under construction," Broken Arrow City Manager Michael Spurgeon said.
Two of the 10 street projects the city discussed at the last community forum are now complete. The completed projects include Phase 1 and 2 of Albany Street, from 23rd Street to 37th Street.
For more, go to Big turnout at street forum and watch the full meeting on YouTube.
 It's official! Four artificial turf soccer fields are ready for action at Indian Springs Sports Complex, 13600 S. 145th E. Ave., following a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb. 15, marking their completion.
"Broken Arrow Soccer Club has called Indian Springs home for almost 50 years, and this year we have more players registered than ever with almost 2,100 players," said Jason Dobbins, Broken Arrow Soccer Club Express Competitive Director.
Dobbins says the soccer field improvements will have a long-lasting impact on the players and their families and paves the way for more expansive opportunities. "This really matters. We can draw bigger tournaments and have more programs to enhance the economic impact we can have for the city," Dobbins said.
The project converted four full-sized soccer fields on the southwest portion of the complex from natural grass to artificial turf. It included earthwork, drainage, storm sewer installation, concrete work, and sod.
Mayor Debra Wimpee thanked the voters for approving the 2018 General Obligation Bond package.
"Our voters understood the importance of having the quality-of-life items like this when they approved the 2018 General Obligation Bond package," Wimpee said. "It's amazing, thank you!"
For more, go to Indian Springs turf ready for play.
 A new plan is in place to help keep Broken Arrow residents safer and improve mitigation efforts against natural disasters.
The City Council adopted the City of Broken Arrow Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan on Feb. 7.
"This plan is a living document that begins with the local, county, state, and tribal governments in identifying natural disaster risks and vulnerabilities that we face in our area," said Emergency Management Director Jamie Ott. "This Planning process aims to reduce loss of life and property by attempting to minimize the impact of disasters."
The Hazard Mitigation plan identifies actions that should be taken to help reduce or eliminate long-term risks caused by hazards or disasters, such as flooding, earthquakes, wildfires, tornadoes, and dam failure.
Communities must update their plans every five years to ensure eligibility for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grants.
The planning sessions to update the city's plan started nearly two years ago.
"There were many people, groups, volunteer organizations, local, county, state, tribal, federal agencies, and our two public school districts that participated in updating this plan," Ott said. "The groups participating in these public meetings put in many hours."
The Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan is a valuable document that identifies hazards locally and some action items the team thought would help mitigate natural disasters.
For more, go to 5-year disaster plan approved.
To read the entire Broken Arrow Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, please go to 2022 Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan.
City Council approved planned unit developments and rezoning request for the February 2023 edition of the Community Development Update.
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