One of the road-related websites that I frequent, OKroads, has a section where the author puts forth his idea for a major beltway completely encircling Oklahoma City. Not only did I like the idea for the Tulsa area, I vaguely remember a few news stories about a decade or so ago about doing just that: a highway circling Tulsa that would be so large that not only did it never once enter the Tulsa city limits, it never even once entered Tulsa County.

Given that long term budget crunches will mean such a road will probably never even get a feasibility study, much less be built, I thought I'd give it a shot. I used the same Kurumi Signmaker program that the OKRoads guy did for I-635 around OKC. Also made a map showing where I think the road should go, being given the benefit of a program that would not only let me add my own roads to their map, but also showed contour lines which allowed me to route the road in such a way that would allow for the existing terrain (map is to the left; click on it to see a larger version).

As Interstate 244 already exists in Tulsa, and Interstate 444 kinda/sorta exists downtown, and I've already suggested (as shown in Entry 16 of "My 6½ Cents" elsewhere on this website) that the combined Creek Turnpike and (once it's finished) Gilcrease Expressway be renamed Interstate 644, I am left with only one possible number. So I hereby christen my proposal for the 194-mile Interstate 844: The Big Outer Beltway Around Tulsa County.

I have place the zero mile marker at the southwest corner of the beltway, at the junction of the Turner Turnpike. I have also arbitrarily increased the numbers while going counterclockwise, along the Outer part of the highway (as a lane of traffic would eventually travel in every direction, I am referring to the counterclockwise travel of direction as Outer-844, and the clockwise as Inner-844). Our journey begins just as we have gotten on Outer-844 from the Turner Turnpike, roughly five miles NE of the I-44 Bristow exit. We begin our excursion traveling southeast.

The first exit we come to drops us off on the primary back road connecting the towns of Kellyville to the north, and Slick to the south. Following Tulsa street-naming conventions out this far, this road would be the equivalent of 225th W Ave.

Another couple of miles further and we change to a more easterly direction.

Roughly 65th W Ave., this is the main road between Sapulpa and Beggs. Most road maps still refer to this road as US-Alternate-75, but the road signs signifying such were replaced with OK-75A signs over a decade ago.

The standard cloverleaf method. I-844 is roughly paralleling 231st Street in this section, and we're also the closest this road is ever going to get to Tulsa County, 2 miles to the north.

If it should ever become more than just talk and a more direct interstate highway is ever built connecting Dallas and Kansas City, it would probably be an extension of I-45, come through Tulsa and first connect The Big Outer Beltway right here.



The next three exits admittedly go to some small towns, but maybe if there's a major Interstate in the area some of these Okmulgee County back roads may finally get the maintenance they deserve, and people living in these areas won't be cut off from the outside world whenever we have a little rain or snow.  For the record, these exits are the Tulsa equivalent of Yale Ave, Mingo Rd & 209th E Ave respectively.



Exits 40 & 41 both occur about two miles north of Haskell. Around Mile 43 we cross the Arkansas River, then slowly start turning into a northeasterly direction. Exit 49 is a couple of miles west of Porter.

Here we cross the Muskogee Turnpike, about six miles SE of the turnpike's OK-51 exit. Where'd the I-740 shield come from? My idea. For ages I've felt that the Muskogee Turnpike, Broken Arrow & Keystone Expressways, and the Cimarron Turnpike should all be one big interstate. The 740 number came from the best way I could see this happening: get a local radio station to run with the idea. And since the number would have to be a 35, 40 or 44 offshoot beginning with an odd number, what better choice than the KRMG-promoted 740? Hey, it worked in Fort Worth. That's why their beltway is I-820 instead of 220.

Around Mile 55 we cross the Verdigris, then hit OK-51 a few miles west of Wagoner. After this exit the Beltway turns and starts heading due north. Exit 65 really doesn't go anywhere or to anything, I just didn't want such a long gap bwtween Exits 58 and 74. Plus, exit 65 marks the easternmost point of the Beltway. Still traveling north, but drifting slowly westward as we go.
Another cloverleaf, about three miles east of 412's OK-88 exit. And normally the "Outer-844" sign would not have a control city listed, as it's whole purpose is to go around everything. But since three of the next five exits are signed "Claremore", and a 4th that isn't can still take you directly there, I figured why not?

The road that Exit 80 takes you to connects with OK-88 in Tiawah, hence the 'TO' part: if you've reached one, you've reached the other.

Don't think the OK-20 exit warrants a cloverleaf. Stop lights, almost a certainty though. Besides, I didn't want two consecutive cloverleafs in a row. That could cause some confusion.

Cloverleaf again, and that aforementioned unsigned other exit to Claremore. If you recall, this excursion started by getting onto 844 via the Turner Turnpike, a.k.a. Interstate 44. Therefore, we have reached the first of numerous highways that we will be revisiting for a second time on the backside of our journey. However, due to a longer loop on the northwest side owing to several lakes, our journey is not yet half-complete. We are turning again, though, this time in a generally northwest direction, veering one way or the other on occasion to avoid even more lakes.

The last two exits to Claremore. Three miles past Exit 94 we cross the Verdigris again. At the same time we have completed half of our circuit around this 194-mile Beltway.

Let's see, consecutive exits going to the same road, but in opposite directions. Gee, I wonder what kind of exit this one's gonna be?

Oologah is just a couple of miles to the northeast, Collinsville closer to a dozen miles the other way. About halfway before our next exit the Beltway turns for a long sprint due west, roughly paralleling 241st St. N.

If that I-45 extension from Dallas to Kansas City mentioned back on Exit 19 ever happens, this would be the most likely spot for it to recross the beltway.

A big long stretch of nothing between the last exit and this one. Very, very beautiful nothing, scenic-route nothingness, but nothing nonetheless. Vera is about four miles due south.

The last cloverleaf for fifty miles, I promise!



Avant is about a mile south of Exit 123. Barnsdall is actually closer to Exit 129, but I wanted to have an all-brown sign showing only the lakes, Birch Lake a couple of miles to the north (and Barnsdall a couple more beyond that), Skiatook Lake a dozen or so miles to the south. We start turning toward the southwest just before the OK-99 exit.



At around Mile 158 we turn again, and now we're going due south. We begin the homestretch by recrossing the Arkansas River at Mile 159. By taking Exit 164 and going west about two miles, you'd hit OK-99, thus avoiding a toll charge if you took the Cimarron Turnpike's OK-99 exit.

This Beltway would seem to me just the thing that Hallett Raceway would need to bring it international recognition. Would be the perfect location for a NASCAR-level racetrack, too.
Our first cloverleaf in fifty miles, occuring about two miles east of the Cimarron's OK-99 exit. (For my explanation on why I call this I-740, see the remarks for Exit 52.)



The reasoning for the Jennings/Terlton exit is the same for the Hallet exit, except this one's more for the people coming the other way on Inner-844. We begin our last major turn, to the southeast, around Mile 170, crossing the Cimarron River around Mile 172.

Mannford (technically New Mannford, as [Old] Mannford is at the bottom of Keystone Lake) is about eight miles to the east of Exit 173, Yale about twelve miles to the west.

Drumright is about eleven miles to the west of Exit 182, the 33/48 junction about 1½ miles to the east.

Bristow is about an eight-mile drive from either exit point. Kellyville is seven miles away from Exit 193, about the same distance the town is from Exit 5, only six miles down the Beltway.

And thus ends our journey, 194 miles and (assuming a 75mph speed limit--it is completely rural, after all) 2½ hours later. To see how the Inner-844 route would look, scroll upwards along the page, remembering that whenever you come to a cloverleaf exit B will come before exit A.

I realize this Beltway, or anything even remotely resembling it, isn't gonna be built anytime soon, certainly not within my lifetime, but it would be useful. It would, for example provide a much more direct route for anyone from Claremore to Joplin, or from Stillwater to Lawton, wanting to see Woolaroc. For some truckers the Beltway would provide a more direct route to where they're going, greatly easing traffic congestion within Tulsa proper. And as someone who lives in Tulsa I can honestly say we need all the help we can get.