From Film Sets to Freeways: Coordinating Safety on Oklahoma Roads
Whether it’s coordinating filming of a high-speed chase for the big screen or managing lane closures for a road project, traffic control plays a critical role in keeping people safe and work on schedule. Freese and Nichols has long handled traffic control for infrastructure projects. Recently, we’ve expanded into supporting an increasing number of film productions in Oklahoma.
A key figure in this work is Paul Green, a construction management leader in the firm’s Oklahoma City office. Paul coordinates closely with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) to help when film productions request access to highways and other public roads. That kind of involvement started during the filming of “Twisters,” when ODOT needed a faster, safer way to process permit approvals for a major studio production. With film crews often needing support with just a few days’ notice, Freese and Nichols stepped in to help streamline the process without sacrificing safety or compliance.
Expanding Support for the Film Industry
Since “Twisters,” Paul has supported several other productions with traffic control services, including “New Year’s Rev,” a Live Nation film featuring Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey of “The Office” fame. Freese and Nichols helped manage intermittent traffic control on SH 33 and SH 66, coordinating with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to support filming involving process trailers, drone shots and pull-offs along the highway.
Freese and Nichols also assisted the FX/Hulu series “The Lowdown” (formerly “The Sensitive Kind”) with traffic plans and permitting in Tulsa, Bartlesville and around Lake Keystone. The work involved coordinating drone activity, temporary road closures and driving shots in compliance with ODOT regulations.
“We work through a matrix of questions for each request, such as time of day, school routes, emergency access and daily traffic volumes,” Paul said. “Each site is different, and our job is to think ahead so that safety and logistics are covered before a single vehicle rolls.”
In each of these cases, the team worked behind the scenes to manage logistics, reduce public disruption and maintain safety for both crews and drivers.
Continued Commitment to Infrastructure Safety
While film-related work is growing, traffic control has long been a part of the firm’s infrastructure services. Freese and Nichols provides traffic planning and coordination for transportation projects across Oklahoma, including the downtown revitalization in Elk City, the ongoing expansion of the John Kilpatrick Turnpike in Oklahoma City and construction management and traffic control on the Turner Turnpike between Bristow and Sapulpa.
Traffic control also played a key role in emergency response efforts at the Roosevelt Bridge on US Highway 70. After spring flooding damaged the roadway, Freese and Nichols helped stabilize the area by overseeing the placement of more than 70,000 tons of riprap (a layer of large stones that protects soil from erosion in areas of high or concentrated flows) while keeping traffic moving along a critical east-west route.
Each traffic control plan is built around the standards of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices but is tailored to real-world conditions. That includes adjusting for local events, posted and actual travel speeds and community-specific concerns.
“It’s not just about putting out signs. It’s about keeping people safe and making sure someone’s thinking about traffic, even when the crew is focused on their work,” Paul said. “A good traffic control plan helps the public, the client and the people doing the job.”
For more information on our traffic control services, please contact Paul Green.