New Smart Highway Lighting Project Kicks off Monday

5/8/2026

Multi-Week Project to Begin Along Broken Arrow Expressway Between E. 15th St., S. Sheridan Rd.

(Tulsa, OK) – Beginning on Monday, May 11, the City of Tulsa will begin a multi-week project to install new, smart highway lighting infrastructure along the Broken Arrow Expressway (SH-51) between approximately East 15th Street and South Sheridan Road.

This work will include repairs to 118 existing lighting infrastructure poles, the conversion to energy-efficient LED lighting, and the installation of smart devices that will allow the City to monitor real-time lighting status along the corridor.

Background & More Information

While highway projects and maintenance in Tulsa are generally carried out by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, nearly 6,000 highway lights across Tulsa’s highway system are maintained by the City of Tulsa.

Highway lighting has historically been one of the City’s most challenging maintenance responsibilities. In many cases, a single damaged pole, electrical issue, or traffic collision can impact large sections of lighting infrastructure and cause dozens of lights to go dark at once. Theft and vandalism have also created ongoing challenges over the years, particularly involving wiring and electrical components.

To help address those issues, the City previously converted much of its highway lighting infrastructure from copper wiring to aluminum wiring, which is less susceptible to theft. The current project, funded from the PSO Franchise Agreement, builds on those earlier investments and represents the next major step toward modernizing Tulsa’s highway lighting system.

The new LED fixtures being installed along this section of the Broken Arrow Expressway will provide brighter, more energy-efficient lighting while reducing long-term maintenance costs. In addition, each light will include a smart control module that allows the City to monitor lighting performance in real time.

Historically, identifying outages often relied on residents reporting dark areas or City crews physically driving routes to determine which lights were out. With the new smart lighting technology, City staff will be able to immediately identify outages remotely, respond more quickly to maintenance issues, and better pinpoint system failures when they occur.

The smart monitoring system will also improve the City’s ability to identify damage, tampering, or potential theft activity affecting lighting infrastructure. The improvements will also restore lighting to a section of the expressway that has experienced prolonged outages due to ongoing infrastructure and maintenance challenges.

Once complete, the City plans to continue expanding smart lighting technology to additional highway corridors in Tulsa.

Project Timeline

The work will be completed in two phases.

• Phase 1: Crews will begin working in the eastbound lanes, with inner lane closures beginning near East 15th Street. As repairs are completed, work will move eastward in segments.
• Phase 2: Crews will transition into the westbound lanes and close the inner lane beginning near South Sheridan Road. As repairs are completed, work will move west toward East 21st Street.

Lane closures will generally occur on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with varying setup and removal times on weekends if needed. Drivers are encouraged to slow down, remain alert in work zones, and consider alternate routes when possible. The project is anticipated to take up to a month to complete, weather permitting.

More Information

Learn more about the City of Tulsa’s street lighting system.