Since then, the highway has been paved and gradually extended to both the east and the west, finally reaching its present-day extent in 1965.

[2] Four miles (6.4 km) east of Beggs, SH-16 intersects U.S. Route 75, a major national north/south highway and prominent in the area as a four-lane expressway connecting Tulsa and Okmulgee.

In Okay, the highway turned east, following present-day SH-251A across Fort Gibson Dam and coming to an end at SH-80.

[6] In 1958, the jog between Beggs and Jamesville was removed, moving the US-62/64 junction to its present-day location; this portion of highway remained unpaved.

At that time, SH-16 absorbed the wholly paved SH-27 between Bristow and Drumright, setting its western terminus at its present-day location.

[9] SH-16's final extension occurred in 1965, when SH-251A was established and SH-16 was realigned to instead continue north past Okay and terminate at SH-51 in Wagoner.