# Civic Matters > Suburban & Other OK Communities > Norman >  I-35 Widening

## okcfollower

It looks like they are about to start on the widening along 35 now that the sound barrier is complete. There is tons of equipment inside the loop by the mall. Anyone know any details?

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## Snowman

Looks like they will be at it for a while.

http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/cwp-8...ision3-map.pdf

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## HangryHippo

The last update I'd heard was that they were going to start building a single point urban interchange at Main St which would be followed by the widening of the highway down to just before the Lindsey St interchange.  That's the one that's supposed to take awhile.

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## ou48A

The I-35 construction congestion that will occur and be very bad.... and the growth of our area all point to a need of another bridge across the river south of Norman.

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## johnpwoods

they are currrently just doing some paving work.  The Main St. Bridge and highway lane increase won't begin until start of 2013.  expect an 18 month process.  Then highway 9 - another 18 months, then Lindsey another 18 months.  Give or take.

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## Snowman

Is the 18 month estimates before or after normal ODOT project timeline slippage.

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## ljbab728

> The I-35 construction congestion that will occur and be very bad.... and the growth of our area all point to a need of another bridge across the river south of Norman.


Why?  What destinations are south of the river that would require another bridge?

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## ou48A

> Why?  What destinations are south of the river that would require another bridge?


It’s the destinations north of the river that increasingly need congestion relief. 
There is a plan to eventually build a by-pass around the east side of Norman & OKC. 
Building a bridge in the right location could be part of this by pass.

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## ljbab728

> It’s the destinations north of the river that increasingly need congestion relief. 
> There is a plan to eventually build a by-pass around the east side of Norman & OKC. 
> Building a bridge in the right location could be part of this by pass.


It could be needed at some point but that is far from a pressing or immediate concern. There are many transportation needs in the Norman area that are far ahead of that.

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## ou48A

> It could be needed at some point but that is far from a pressing or immediate concern. There are many transportation needs in the Norman area that are far ahead of that.


I would agree there are higher street & highway priorities.
However a bridge would help relive congestion on several of the other trouble spots.
Since it takes so long to complete the entire process, the sooner we get started on it the better.

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## kevinpate

ou48A, if you were king for a day, where would you prefer to place a new river bridge to noticeably impact existing congestion?

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## ou48A

> ou48A, if you were king for a day, where would you prefer to place a new river bridge to noticeably impact existing congestion?


If I were* king* I would suggest the bridge be built about 2 1/4 miles east of the David Jay Perry Airport. This is roughly 3 miles WNW of the city of Noble. This is an approximant location; engineering considerations may require an adjustment.

From this bridge a limited access highway would be built to Jenkins Street with an over pass over highway 9. Jenkins would be 4 landed with a center turn lane all the way north to Lindsey St.

From the bridge a highway of interstate standards would be built southward and join up with I-35 about 2 miles south of the bridge. A short state highway would be built on the north side of the bridge to the east to service Noble. On the South side of the bridge a short state highway would be built to the northwest toward the Highway 9 & I-35 exchange near the casino.

As I mention earlier, eventually they plan on building an east by pass around OKC. This bridge would be vital to this by - pass project. From this bridge the by-pass could be constructed to the north east for several miles before turning north.

This would require money from state and federal sources and a good amount of planning that would all take a long time, but I believe a bridge with the supporting roads that I described would help relieve congestion on HY-9, Lindsey St and on I – 35 in the Norman area. This would give people living in Nobel and on the east side of Norman much better south bound I-35 access. Should I-35 ever be shut down in the Norman area it would provide an alternative route.The project would also give OU a southern entrance point and the ability to get more traffic out of Norman quicker after major events. If you have ever known anyone who has had an emergency during football traffic congestion, you may know it’s a very serious safety consideration and I know the city knows this.

The construction of east by pass and a third bridge over the river on the NW side of Norman would also help as would commuter rail….. but remember, all this is if I were *KING.*  :Wink:

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## johnpwoods

before  :Smile:

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## ou48A

> before


Before what?

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## HangryHippo

> Is the 18 month estimates before or after normal ODOT project timeline slippage.


I believe he was referencing this post.

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## ou48A

> I believe he was referencing this post.


I believe you are correct…. thanks :Wink:

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## HangryHippo

I saw that the transportation commission approved a bid for Sherwood Construction for the southern portion of I-35 and SH-9E.  I can't seem to find any renderings of the plan for this rebuild though.  Can someone that can navigate the ODOT site better than I can locate them?

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## venture

http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/meeti...2/brochure.pdf

I think that is still the plan in place. Unfortunately they didn't do an overpass at 24th to remove that choke point.

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## HangryHippo

No overpass at 24th is a serious miscalculation in my opinion.  Well, that and the continued use of cloverleaf ramps.  Unbelievable.

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## Plutonic Panda

> No overpass at 24th is a serious miscalculation in my opinion.  Well, that and the continued use of cloverleaf ramps.  Unbelievable.


I agree. ODOT needs to get with the friggin program!!!!!!!

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## bille

> No overpass at 24th is a serious miscalculation in my opinion.  Well, that and the continued use of cloverleaf ramps.  Unbelievable.





> I agree. ODOT needs to get with the friggin program!!!!!!!


Since you bring it up and I wouldn't have really given it any thought otherwise (thanks for making me realize that there are a plethora of interchange options btw), what would be a better interchange?  Why do they stick with the clover leaf design?  Is it space? Time to build? Money?

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## HangryHippo

> Since you bring it up and I wouldn't have really given it any thought otherwise (thanks for making me realize that there are a plethora of interchange options btw), what would be a better interchange?  Why do they stick with the clover leaf design?  Is it space? Time to build? Money?


It's probably money.

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## venture

The thing I want to point out is that the SW part of the cloverleaf (top right) is brand new and actually doesn't exist today. They are adding two more overpasses to the interchange in this design, but apparently that was too much for them.  :Smile:

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## HangryHippo

The more I look at it, the more I hate what they're doing to that western portion of the SH-9 interchange.  It's just dumb.

What is the part that was awarded yesterday?

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## Plutonic Panda

> Since you bring it up and I wouldn't have really given it any thought otherwise (thanks for making me realize that there are a plethora of interchange options btw), what would be a better interchange?  Why do they stick with the clover leaf design?  Is it space? Time to build? Money?


I think it's money. I think they are just doing things on the cheap. There is no bold engineering. I emailed the ODOT about the 235/44 interchange and they responded with them not having room to do the flyovers. Well, you can always go up a little more; the sky is the limit.

I would prefer flyovers for this, seeing as it would move traffic much more efficiently. A ton of other cities are doing away with these clover leaf designs and Dallas is doing away with their half clover leaf half flyover and going big. I wish we would do that here. I have hope though, as the city grows and new people come in, we will see change and take on bigger and bolder projects.

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## Plutonic Panda

They should just build direct flyovers seeing as they are likely going to upgrade this to an actually highway or interstate standards, or so I've heard.

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## venture

> They should just build direct flyovers seeing as they are likely going to upgrade this to an actually highway or interstate standards, or so I've heard.


There has been no indication of that outside of a few of us dreaming on here. The only major changes coming to Hwy 9 will be 4-laning all the way to the Pott County line starting soon (project is going to take like 7 years though).

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## Plutonic Panda

Oh, I thought that was in ODOT official long term plan. Still couldn't hurt to plan ahead though

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## adaniel

I don't like cloverleafs but looking at this design it may actually work.

The main issue that flyovers are used in some cities instead of cloverleafs is to save on ROW acquisition costs and avoiding squeezing both entering and exiting traffic into a small area (see: current setup on 235/44/77 interchange). But ODOT already owns a crazy amount of ROW, and it looks as if exiting traffic off of 35 has a different lane path then traffic entering 35 from OK-9.

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## Snowman

Since the two circles do not interact it gets rid of the worst part of the cloverleaf designs and it is no doubt cheaper than to maintain/rehab the circles than the longer bridges flyovers would require. Plus less bridge length on turns will be better in conditions where ice may build.

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## Plutonic Panda

*Work continues on Interstate 35 in Norman*

Work on a bridge replacement project on W Main Street over Interstate 35 and widening of I-35 is continuing in Norman.

NORMAN  Crews with Allen Contracting hired by the state Transportation Department have shifted the two southbound lanes of Interstate 35 west onto a new configuration as work continues on the I-35 bridge replacement and widening project at Main Street.

Crews with Manhattan Road and Bridge Co. are in the process of placing the final bridge beams for the Main Street bridge over I-35, officials said. That work, which requires some temporary lane closures, should be complete by Friday.

The $30 million project awarded to a joint venture of Allen Contracting and Manhattan Road and Bridge of Oklahoma City has an estimated completion date of May.




Work continues on Interstate 35 in Norman | News OK

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