Chockie Mountain Bypass

USA / Oklahoma / Stringtown /
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Built before the World War II era, US Highway 69 crosses Chockie Mountain here, a very long but very narrow wall-like mountain ridge composed of very steeply tilted rock strata. Originally a narrow, two-lane highway, US-69 climbed up the south face of the ridge, crossed the summit through a small rock cut, and then descended the north face of the ridge, with a steep, dangerous cliff-like drop off to the right for southbound traffic. Traffic in the US-69 corridor increased, and by the 1970s the highway had been gradually replaced with a four-lane divided highway. Heavy truck traffic created bottlenecks at Chockie Mountain, and traffic jams occurred because of the low speed limits required for safety. The last segment of two-lane road between Tulsa and Dallas was finally replaced here in the late 1980s, when a large rock-cut through Chockie Mountain allowed the entire highway to be re-routed slightly to the east on a more level grade, and with a continuous four-lane divided roadway. The old roadway is still open to traffic, but is only used by adjacent landowners, and has fallen into disrepair. It does, however, provide the same scenic views it always has.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   34°35'28"N   95°59'12"W

Comments

  • I've driven by here dozens of times and had no idea. Great find!
  • I live about a mile from there great swimming hole from the strip pit used for the hwy but it's hard to find if your not local
This article was last modified 4 years ago