U.S. Highway 69 (Oklahoma)

U.S. Route 69 (US 69) is a major north-south U.S. Highway in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It extends the corridor formed by U.S. Route 75 in Texas, from Dallas northeast via McAlester and Muskogee to the Will Rogers Turnpike (Interstate 44) near Vinita. From Vinita to the Kansas state line, US-69 generally parallels the turnpike along old U.S. Highway 66.

Route description

U.S. Highway 69 crosses the Red River to enter Bryan County, Oklahoma concurrent with US-75 south of Colbert. The first few miles of highway north of the state line are freeway-grade, featuring three interchanges, including one at State Highway 91. Near Calera, the route downgrades to an expressway. On the west side of Durant, however, US-69/75 becomes a freeway again, beginning with an interchange with U.S. Highway 70, and followed by an interchange with SH-78. The freeway continues northeast, providing access to Armstrong, Caddo, and SH-22 before becoming an expressway once again at the Atoka County line.

In Atoka County, US-69/75 bypass Caney and Tushka to the west before coming to the SH-3/ 7 junction in the county seat of Atoka, Oklahoma; at this junction, SH-3 joins with the U.S. routes while SH-7 has its eastern terminus. North of this interchange, US-75 and SH-3 split off, leaving US-69 without any concurrent routes for the first time since crossing the Red River. Seven miles (11.3 km) northwest of Atoka, US-69 begins another concurrency, this time with SH-43, near Stringtown. The two routes run along the east shore of Atoka Lake before SH-43 splits off to the west. US-69 then heads through unincorporated Chockie, and then serves as the eastern terminus of SH-131 just south of the Pittsburg County line.

US-69 then crosses into Pittsburg County. US-69 runs just east of Kiowa, where it intersects State Highway 63 at its western terminus. US-69 runs along the east edge of the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, which it provides access to via an interchange near Savanna. It then has an interchange with the Indian Nation Turnpike, after which it enters McAlester. US-69 mostly runs along the east side of McAlester, the county seat of Pittsburg County, with the downtown area being served by U.S. Highway 69 Business. The main route of US-69 has an interchange with US-270/ SH-1/ SH-31. North of McAlester, US-69 reunites with its business loop at an interchange which also serves as the southern terminus of SH-113. US-69 regains freeway status at this interchange, and begins crossing over several arms of Lake Eufaula. US-69 provides several interchanges for lake access. Other interchanges serve the northern terminus of SH-113 (which has both termini at US-69) and the western terminus of SH-9A. US-69 then crosses the main channel of the Canadian River