U.S. 70 Durant Bypass
The $101 million construction of the US-70 Durant Bypass in phases between 2009 and 2015 completed an eight-mile freeway loop around the southern end of Durant. This serves to route freight traffic away from the city center to a new interchange with US-69/75, which connects directly to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, only 1.5 hours to the south.
Thanks to the new bypass, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is investing more than $660 million in the area, including construction of a Language Center, Regional Medical Clinic, Community Center, Resort and Casino, and the Choctaw Nation headquarters.
Other new businesses that would have difficulty effectively routing truck traffic through a city center have also located along the US-70 bypass, including a Big Lots! regional distribution center and steel mill operated by CMC Steel Oklahoma.
The US-70 Bypass also allows tourist traffic generated by nearby Lake Texoma, one of southern Oklahoma and northern Texas’ most popular recreation areas, to access Durant’s downtown businesses without the added congestion of freight traffic.
Read additional stories from this state:
