ODOT Working To Change Dangerous Portion Of I-35 North

ODOT says it's working to change a portion of I-35 North some Norman residents say is a "Death Trap."

Highway construction on the northbound lanes just north of the Highway 9 and Lindsey Street on-ramps has caused the dangerous situation, according to residents.

They say the new traffic configuration doesn't give northbound motorists enough time or space to merge onto I-35 North from Highway 9 and Lindsey Street.

"This is a death trap, yes," Craig Hitchcock said Tuesday.

Hitchcock was one of a handful of people who ran to help several people who were involved in a four-car pileup at the merging point Sunday night.

"It's an instantaneous jump you have to make to get on that highway or you're gonna crash," He said.

ODOT Spokesperson Terri Angier says the workers have lowered the speed limit in the area, and they are adding asphalt slabs she says will allow motorists much more room to merge onto I-35 North. She says the asphalt addition should be ready for traffic by the end of the week.