36th Ave. NW / Telephone Rd. Reconstruction Project
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Project Background
In 2025, the Cities of Norman and Moore partnered to apply for funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program. The project was awarded the maximum grant of $25 million, allowing corridor improvements to move forward. The SS4A grant will pay up to 80% of the construction costs for the project and each city is responsible for paying the remaining match for their portion of the project.
Improvements include:
Widening from two lanes to four lanes from just north of Tecumseh Rd. in Norman to just south of 34th St. in Moore
A two-way left turn lane between Tecumseh Rd. and Franklin Rd.
A sidewalk on the west side of the roadway for the full length of the project
A full length 10-foot-wide multimodal bike/pedestrian trail on the east side of the roadway that is part of a long-range plan to connect trails between Norman, Moore, and Oklahoma City
New signalized intersections, crosswalks, and pedestrian crossings
A new underground storm sewer system along the roadway to replace the current ditches and drainage culverts
Existing Conditions
The project corridor extends from W. Tecumseh Rd. in Norman north to S.W. 34th St. in Moore.
Today, the roadway varies significantly in width and design, creating inconsistent driving conditions. Some sections have four lanes with curbs, while much of the corridor narrows to two lanes with little or no shoulder. In one area, the roadway includes a center turn lane, and another section briefly widens to three lanes before narrowing again. As the corridor enters Moore, Telephone Rd. transitions back to a four-lane roadway.
Pedestrian facilities are also limited. Existing sidewalks are available only along portions of the corridor, including:
West side of 36th Ave. NW between W. Tecumseh Rd. and south of W. Franklin Rd.
The east side near All Saints Catholic School and Norman Fire Department Station 8
Project Purpose
The purpose of this project is to make travel along 36th Ave. NW and Telephone Rd. safer and more reliable. Improvements will increase roadway capacity, improve connections between Norman and Moore, and provide safer travel for drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and emergency vehicles.
Project Need
36th Ave. NW and Telephone Rd. are important north-south routes connecting the cities of Norman and Moore. The corridor serves neighborhoods, businesses, schools, parks, healthcare facilities, and emergency services. It also provides an alternate route when Interstate 35 is congested or closed.
As traffic has grown, the existing two-lane roadway can no longer safely accommodate the number of people who use it. The corridor has experienced increasing traffic congestion and collisions, highlighting the need for improvements.
Both Norman and Moore have widened sections of the roadway at each end of the corridor. This project will connect those improvements, creating a continuous, safer, and more efficient north-south route.
The project will also improve travel for pedestrians by adding a 5-foot-wide pedestrian sidewalk on the west side and a 10-foot-wide multi-use trail (extension of Legacy Trail) on the east.
Finally, the improved corridor will strengthen the region's transportation network by providing a reliable emergency and evacuation route west of I-35 during severe weather and other emergencies. It is also expected to support future regional transit service connecting Moore, Norman, and the Oklahoma City metro area.
Public Involvement
A public open house was held on August 18, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Quest Church, 6450 36th Ave. NW in Norman, OK.