Infamous Abandoned Highway to Nowhere (I-44 at Tulsa, Oklahoma)

DISCLAIMER: Do not attempt to go to any location depicted in this video. If you do choose to go, you do so at your own risk.

Near Tulsa, Oklahoma, sits a 1.5 mile stretch of abandoned, crumbling highway that seems like it must have been taken straight out of an eerie, post-apocalyptic world from which humans have long since disappeared. It’s one of only a few remaining segments of abandoned interstate highways in America.

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Music Credits:

Track: Great Wastelands (Homeworld OST)
Artist: Paul Ruskay

Track: Garden View (Homeworld OST)
Artist: Paul Ruskay

Track: Supernova Station (Homeworld OST)
Artist: Paul Ruskay

Sources/Further Reading:

[TexJester-noth]

Found it on google maps. I remember that stretch I'm a long haul trucker; started in 1985. I've been over that stretch .... Been a LOOONG time!

[Hannah-ucvb]

I used to live in Tulsa and I remember driving this before they redid it. Tulsa has A LOT of terrifying road layouts, but this one was one of the worst. I tried to avoid it like the plague til they did the new alignment lol. I remember seeing this about 3 years after it was shut down, and seeing all the signs that were still there directing to exits that didn't exist anymore, and the fact that they changed the Oklahoma highway symbol from a circle to the shape of the state around the time they did this, it REALLY made it look like the strip was frozen in time.

[EthanMichell]

I love abandoned/shut down roads.
It's so peaceful, tranquil and its past has a story.

[jimmywesberry]

And it still has less potholes than most of Oklahoma’s used roads! 😂

[HMSGT]

Nifty. Always makes you stop and think; all that money and effort spent to make it, and now it’s unwanted and forgotten.

[marlowehanson]

What on earth makes this an abandoned Highway of Death? THIS part of the Will Rogers Turnpike was l/is a considerable distance from malfunction junction that turned toward it!

I was a Toll Collector at the Tulsa East Turnpike Gate and have walked this road with feelings of sadness and nostalgia. It’s a short piece of highway really, behind the beautiful homes of Spunky Creek, Catoosa, and has zero to do with the 26 year old man who fell while doing construction work on the new bridge over I-44, that completely bypassed the old toll booth where I used to work. This is nonsense about the spooky, short piece of the turnpike shown in this video.

[theoldhunter]

I am from the area. This is part of what was called "Disfunction Junction ". Needed to be abandoned

[davidschick]

I never even knew it existed when I visited Tulsa in 2022. I just liked the fact that the turnpike from OKC to Tulsa seemed to be in fine shape and one could legally do at least 75 mph the whole time. It made the trip a lot shorter.

[Derrick_]

And whats bad is its in better condition than some of the currently used roads

[TemplesOfOurGods]

Dude this place would be perfect for a movie filming location for zombies or post apoc scenes.

[OkieOtaku]

For context, it was realligned to meet with the Creek Turnpike that runs through Broken Arrow (aka, the South Loop) when it was built. The reallignment is not far from there

[Tempest_YT]

I absolutely love seeing abandonded old road beds that still have asphalt/cement on them, thank you for bringing this treasure to my attention! ❤

[justbe]

They destroyed some really nice homes and private property when they changed the turnpike and expanded it to the south of Tulsa .
44 still goes throw northern Tulsa and turns into another turnpike.

[willthetrill]

I’m surprised no one attempted to drag race on that 1.5 mile stretch of abandoned highway

[OneIotaOfaDifference]

Why doesn't Tulsa use it as a movie prop?! Could make really good money out of this abandoned highway that way - or - make it into a drag strip - another big money-maker. Not too smart just leaving it there to crumble away.

[AhJodie]

This seems like it would be good for something! Thanks for sharing! I subscribed because I love this sort of thing! I used to explore a lot when I was younger, and now I can watch you, what fun! I hope your channel continues to do well!

[rcsutter]

I used to drive through the interchange to that abandoned stretch of road every Friday afternoon in the 1970's. Like lots of people in Tulsa, we had a lake house at Grand Lake. I'd take I-44 out to Catoosa, then 66 from there to Foyil. And more often than not, it was all jammed up from a wreck. Yes, it's a straight section of road, but it was the old interchange where the dangerous curve and ramps were. There was a lot going on there, where the free section of I-44 turned into the Will Rogers turnpike (the abandoned section you see) and old Hwy 66, and 412 interchanges were. They did the right thing, it was a major bottleneck then, it would be a mess now.

[DillonPrecisionFan]

Click bait title, this section was bypassed when they linked in the new Broken Arrow loop tollway. The Skelly bypass was known as the "Scary bypass", especially where it cut through the center of Tulsa (as you mention short on ramps). The section through town has all been redone. The section to the NE of where you filmed is exactly the same! The section you show is not the "Highway of Death"...

[dptplf]

i drove that road many times back in the 80's...

[ToBCreations]

Great find! Maybe this stretch of road could be used in a post apocalyptic movie of some kind. 😉 Thank for sharing your adventures and educate us in the more bizarre and unknown parts of American history. 😊👍