FOX23 Investigates: Neighbors raise safety concerns over construction traffic tied to east Tulsa data center

Residents in east Tulsa are expressing mounting safety concerns regarding construction traffic linked to the "Project Anthem" data center near 11th Street and the Creek Turnpike. They describe 11th Street as a narrow, two-lane road with blind curves and steep drop-offs, making it hazardous for large construction vehicles. Neighbor Mike Raines, a retired engineer, documented numerous incidents including large trucks crossing the center line and close calls with oncoming vehicles. His 49-page report, submitted to city leaders, highlights crashes, overturned vehicles, and a water truck ending up in a ditch. Residents like Cheyenna Morgan also raised concerns about the data center's potential to use "millions to billions of gallons of water," along with impacts on land and electricity. Despite residents bringing their concerns to Tulsa City Council and planning commission meetings, they report a lack of meaningful response, with projects often being unanimously approved. Councilor Laura Bellis, representing the area and a proponent of a moratorium on new data centers, acknowledged the potential harms of data center projects. However, Councilor Christian Bengel, in whose district Project Anthem is located, reportedly provided an unhelpful response to Raines's emails, noting a lack of construction traffic on a Sunday. Residents are urging developers to re-route construction traffic to alternative access points, such as the nearby frontage road or 21st Street, or utilize the Creek Turnpike. FOX23 attempted to contact both Councilor Bengel and the site developers, including Meta, which Councilor Bellis identified as behind Project Anthem, but received no response.