One block of Allison Avenue, from Route 66 to Fifth Street, will be closed permanently within the next few weeks, said Chandler City Manager Jason Orr.
Orr met with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Lincoln County officials on Friday morning to discuss the closure. ODOT plans to close the section over the next week or two. A parking lot will then be built. Orr said it’ll be made from millings for the time being, but the layout and/or materials could be changed later as the City of Chandler develops permanent plans for Imel Park.
The City Council voted to not realign Allison at their November meeting and then finalized that decision by voting to close down the section of the street officially in their meeting on Feb. 13.
ODOT will be replacing the railroad bridge on Rt. 66/Mickey Clarkson Avenue near Allison and plans to expand it. Because of this expansion, the bridge plate will come out too far, and ODOT asked the council to realign Allison where it meets Rt. 66 or close down the portion of the road behind City Hall.
The Council voted to close it down and build a parking lot there, as it makes more sense while the City moves forward with building up Imel Park. It’s named after former mayor Gene Imel.
Construction on the bridge won’t begin until after the 2026 Route 66 Centennial Celebration.