That would be a totally unneeded expense based on the generally moderate amount of traffic we normally have on our freeways.

Agreed.

That's pretty much my point. I'm not comparing it to other major cities, I'm speaking for OKC, not every city with over 1 million people in its metro even though there are far worse (I've been to far worse that are smaller than OKC). Thanks for clarifying though.

Too me, tagging is tantamount to taking a dump on someone's front porch. It should not be tolerated, offenders should be severely punished. It is wonton and felonious destruction of property considering the $$ involved. It is of no importance to me that these "taggers" are "expressing themselves the only outlet they have". They can be busy painting County and State property for many years if that is the case.

I'm just curious, does anybody know what the speed limit on this freeway will be. I really hope it isn't 60mph because I like driving faster. I like 70 better but thats just me. But does anybody know.

Yeah I guess right, but I think that they should reserve lanes for future HOV lanes when OKC grows.

Since we have a separate thread for the replacement Boulevard, I posted it over there:
http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=30513&p=547010#post547010

I'm just curious, does anybody know what the speed limit on this freeway will be. I really hope it isn't 60mph because I like driving faster. I like 70 better but thats just me. But does anybody know.
The new Crosstown is open to traffic but construction/completion of the project is another 2 to 3 years away according to ODOT. Keep that in mind when reading this info from Wiki but...

The new Crosstown will have ten lanes for traffic traveling at 70 miles per hour (110 km/h), despite the current speed limit of 60 mph. It is being designed to carry 170,000 vehicles per day, and will have shoulders for disabled vehicles. Over 95% of current traffic on the Crosstown is through traffic, not transferring to or from downtown streets.
• NOTE: Speed Limit on I-40 is 55 mph in construction zones through downtown Oklahoma City.

While the road was designed so it would be safe to travel at 70, there has been indication it will still be 60, given many people speed five to ten anyway it make sense to have some padding above the posted speed.

Yesterday, I left downtown at 5:30 and took Shields to I-40 west.

Incredibly easy to get to the interstate and I didn't hit my brakes once, even in the transition to I-44 north.


I really think OKC has more excess freeway capacity than any mid- or large-sized city. I know there are some surface intersections that can get backed up but I've been driving around for almost a week and have yet to see even the slightest hint of a traffic problem.

Go to Memorial & Penn...5 o'clock ;-)

Yesterday, I left downtown at 5:30 and took Shields to I-40 west.

Incredibly easy to get to the interstate and I didn't hit my brakes once, even in the transition to I-44 north.


I really think OKC has more excess freeway capacity than any mid- or large-sized city. I know there are some surface intersections that can get backed up but I've been driving around for almost a week and have yet to see even the slightest hint of a traffic problem.

because for the most part there is not one ...

the "worst" spot ..... go north on 235 from downtown at 515 pretty busy until you get past 44 ..... south on I35 out of down town .. pretty slow until you are past I240

I'd say I-235 backs up southbound just south of 23rd st anytime after 4:15 or so. For a couple of miles there, folks in the left lane want in the right lane, and folks in the right lane want in the left lane.

Go to Memorial & Penn...5 o'clock ;-)

Yeah, I know there are some choke points on surface streets but believe me, even than is nothing compared to see what you see in other cities.

I'd say I-235 backs up southbound just south of 23rd st anytime after 4:15 or so. For a couple of miles there, folks in the left lane want in the right lane, and folks in the right lane want in the left lane.

And most of them have CSD ... chronic signal deficiency

Yesterday, I left downtown at 5:30 and took Shields to I-40 west.

Incredibly easy to get to the interstate and I didn't hit my brakes once, even in the transition to I-44 north.


I really think OKC has more excess freeway capacity than any mid- or large-sized city. I know there are some surface intersections that can get backed up but I've been driving around for almost a week and have yet to see even the slightest hint of a traffic problem.
I was downtown a week or two ago and spent a lot of time back tracking trying to find access to I-40 East...directional signage was limited...after crossing over main streets with no access a few times, turning around and trying again finally worked my way over to Shields but even there, didn't know what lane I needed to be in for the on-ramp. The Penn & Western interchanges are a bear around 3:30 pm. Badly timed traffic lights getting on/over I-40. Cars can't move thru the intersection because traffic is already backed up in front of them and not moving because their light is still red etc.

Go to Memorial & Penn...5 o'clock ;-)

Since when did Penn and Memorial become an expressway ?

I was downtown a week or two ago and spent a lot of time back tracking trying to find access to I-40 East...directional signage was limited...after crossing over main streets with no access a few times, turning around and trying again finally worked my way over to Shields but even there, didn't know what lane I needed to be in for the on-ramp. The Penn & Western interchanges are a bear around 3:30 pm. Badly timed traffic lights getting on/over I-40. Cars can't move thru the intersection because traffic is already backed up in front of them and not moving because their light is still red etc.

I-40 East is easy to find, there are several signs with the directions to I-40 E and I-40 W.

Do you guys know if there will be more off-ramps added in the future along I-40 eastbound? Or westbound for that matter? Seems like a pain that there are only eastbound exits for Western and Shields near downtown. I wish they would add the Walker exit back in like they used to have it. Sorry if this has already been discussed, don't have time right now to sift through 60 pages.

Do you guys know if there will be more off-ramps added in the future along I-40 eastbound? Or westbound for that matter? Seems like a pain that there are only eastbound exits for Western and Shields near downtown. I wish they would add the Walker exit back in like they used to have it. Sorry if this has already been discussed, don't have time right now to sift through 60 pages.

Just the westbound onramp between Agnew and May. The boulevard is controlled access all the way to Walker. Much to the dismay of many.

Do you guys know if there will be more off-ramps added in the future along I-40 eastbound? Or westbound for that matter? Seems like a pain that there are only eastbound exits for Western and Shields near downtown. I wish they would add the Walker exit back in like they used to have it. Sorry if this has already been discussed, don't have time right now to sift through 60 pages.

Much of the downtown access is intended to be from the boulevard along the old i40 route. It will use the old rams between Penn and Western, then have at grade intersections with Walker, Hudson, Robinson, Shields/EKG and Oklahoma.

ODOT did not make options to new exits if the ones are deemed not enough, possibly an eastbound on ramp could be put at the Reno/Lincoln corner but several places they would have to dig out the retaining wall to add a ramp and it will be unlikely they could fit one between the highway and the train tracks.

thanks guys

I-40 East is easy to find, there are several signs with the directions to I-40 E and I-40 W.
Sounds like I needed you riding shotgun and doing the navigating as I saw very few signs pointing the way...

I guess I'll put this here since, technically, it ties into the new I-40. Future ramps for the west interchange to connect to the future boulevard:

http://youtu.be/Gs0JLpVhCHE

Shot this evening.

I have been thinking lately that the eastbound onramp to the boulevard around Penn is going to have some breathtaking skyline views.

Also, new construction and destruction progressing quite fast around Agnew:

http://youtu.be/4eY2Bdvb4gY

So how many more years until I40 is really finished?

Well, lets see. Starting back in the '70s, when they began to re-do the I-40 / I-35 interchange ...

I think it's been a continuous project since then.

I'd hate to extrapolate a termination point.

It will take the end of the world to complete this project.

So how many more years until I40 is really finished?

If were talking about the crosstown only, then probably six months to a year with the boulevard taking an additional year. The west end is making good progress. Their about ready to deck the bridges and have started laying things out for the main roadway so I don't see that taking more than six months.


Other than that, there are some off-ramps and on-ramps that will branch off from I-235 and I-40 going to and from the boulevard that need to be built . The southbound I-235 off-ramp to the boulevard will require a series of piers once they get started on that .

It will take the end of the world to complete this project.

I-40 could be mostly done by December, 2012. LOL

I guess I'll put this here since, technically, it ties into the new I-40. Future ramps for the west interchange to connect to the future boulevard:


Shot this evening.

If ODOT gets their way, this is what Western to Walker will consist of.

So how many more years until I40 is really finished?

Technically speaking, there's not much left at all, and every time I drive by and take a look (1-1 1/2 weeks) they've made some incredible improvements. Look for the westbound over Agnew to be completed and switched over no later than the end of this year. I'd assume the same with the east end. Now if it's the ramps that connect to the future boulevard you're referring to, then as previously stated, that would be sometime in 2014.

Well, lets see. Starting back in the '70s, when they began to re-do the I-40 / I-35 interchange ...

I think it's been a continuous project since then.

I'd hate to extrapolate a termination point.

The I-35/I-40 interchange (Ft. Smith Junction) started in 1987, not the late 1970s.

I don't have the article handy but it came out after the new was opened to traffic and they said it will be several years before it is "completed". The gist of it was, just because it is open to traffic in both directions isn't the end but the beginning of traffic headaches for motorists (since up to this point, the work was being done out of sight/out of mind to most.

They are laying the concrete lanes on the West end to tie into I-44 as of today. Looked as if one lane is pretty well done between the bridge over May Ave to I-44.

I don't get why they never finished eastbound on the east end. Must be something they plan on backtracking and doing once the westbound ramps are done.

I noticed yesterday the bridge where the boulevard ties back into I-40 Westbound, is getting the big concrete spanning beams set. They had several spans set near Agnew.

Last night I noticed they probably have 15 or 20 of those big beams set that span from the large pillers on the West end. They are currently building about 8 pillers for the east bridge coming into Bricktown. I can see both ends (I-40 tie in) completed by sometime by an October timeframe.

They were making a big 2 lanes wide concrete pour for the WB lanes from Agnew to May this evening. It took them a week or so to put the rebar down for that mile, hopefully they can get the concrete finished by tomorrow.

They were making a big 2 lanes wide concrete pour for the WB lanes from Agnew to May this evening. It took them a week or so to put the rebar down for that mile, hopefully they can get the concrete finished by tomorrow.

It looks like the two westbound bridges will be the last things to be completed though. I don't think they even starting decking them yet.

I went through at 7:00 this morning and they had already started placing the cement on the westbound lanes. They didn't get as far last night as I thought they would, but the weather seems to be cooperating and maybe today they'll have it down to May.

looks like the weather will cooperate with them until perhaps friday... hopefully they can get a lot done between now and then

Are they going to redo the 44/Hefner Parkway interchange? If they are, is there any chance they would move all the exits to the right side of the highway and place fly overs like Dallas?That would be badazz!!!

Are they going to redo the 44/Hefner Parkway interchange? If they are, is there any chance they would move all the exits to the right side of the highway and place fly overs like Dallas?That would be badazz!!!

Not to get too far off topic here, but I don't know why they can't. Having a major interstate like I-44 narrow to one lane as it merges in with 74 is ridiculous. Honestly it should be that the exit on 74 south to I-44 east should be an exit only lane leaving two through lanes on 74 south to accommodate 2 thru lanes or 4 lanes all together when they merge together. That flyover bridge gets soooooo backed up at night it's stupid.

Are they going to redo the 44/Hefner Parkway interchange? If they are, is there any chance they would move all the exits to the right side of the highway and place fly overs like Dallas?That would be badazz!!!

Nope, not anytime soon.

That's one of those junctions that you have to compare the traffic flow from each direction. At the time of construction, they felt there would be more traffic continuing onto 74 rather than curving to stay on 44...and usually on northbound, that's correct. For southbound, you have to also balance that flow with the 50th onramp and the 44 traffic. With that many lanes, you can't have all of them have their own lane on the merge...you'd have a 10 lane freeway right there and lord knows there isn't room for that. But what you could do is run the 44 traffic southbound on an inside flyover and leave the onramp traffic on the outside. Make the outside onramp an exit only for the next exit so it's technically not a through lane, but doesn't force as much "in-the-through-lane" congestion....i'm not sure i made that make sense?? That way you could keep 3 lanes of traffic on 74, and then have 44 be 5. If you can't keep 5 going, then trail one outside lane off as another exit only. The downside there is the outside traffic ends up making a lot of lane changes.

I'm not traffic designer, but it's definitely one of those junctions that could stand to be adjusted....the 44/39th/74 thing is always confusing and messy.

Yeah I hear you, I just wish the people behind the designs of these highways(esp. interchanges) would design them more like Dallas freeways. But I guess that will come in time and as traffic continues to grow in OKC seeing as Dallas is a much larger city. But I love the new I-40 and how it just makes OKC seems like a bigger city for people traveling through. BTW are they going to redo the 100% of the I-40/Hefner Parkway junction or just part of it?

Yeah I hear you, I just wish the people behind the designs of these highways(esp. interchanges) would design them more like Dallas freeways. But I guess that will come in time and as traffic continues to grow in OKC seeing as Dallas is a much larger city. But I love the new I-40 and how it just makes OKC seems like a bigger city for people traveling through. BTW are they going to redo the 100% of the I-40/Hefner Parkway junction or just part of it?

What are you talking about? You mean I-40/I-44 where Mathis Brothers is on the NW corner? I don't think they'll ever touch this one either, but again, they need to. It needs to be widened to three thru lanes in all directions as it is highly congested during those rush hours.


That's one of those junctions that you have to compare the traffic flow from each direction. At the time of construction, they felt there would be more traffic continuing onto 74 rather than curving to stay on 44

You have to remember that when this interchange was built, 74 only existed to just north of Northwest Expressway where it dead ended or merged into Portland which was a 2 or 4 lane street with stoplights every mile. Hefner Parkway was built in the late 1980's. The previous mentioned interchange has been there long before that kind of 74 traffic flow was available.

Totally getting this topic off subject...I-40 please.

What are you talking about? You mean I-40/I-44 where Mathis Brothers is on the NW corner? I don't think they'll ever touch this one either, but again, they need to. It needs to be widened to three thru lanes in all directions as it is highly congested during those rush hours.


There are plans to do this at the tail end of the eight year plan.

There are plans to do this at the tail end of the eight year plan.

The current 8 year plan? Never seen that. Link please?

]
The current 8 year plan? Never seen that. Link please?

http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/cwp-8-year-plan/cwp_ffy2012-ffy2019/pdfs/cwp_ffy2012-2019.pdf
FFY 2019, pg. 99 I think.

]

http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/cwp-8-year-plan/cwp_ffy2012-ffy2019/pdfs/cwp_ffy2012-2019.pdf
FFY 2019, pg. 99 I think.

So in 2019...if all goes as planned..

We will have the i135/i44 interchanged all torn up for construction, i35/i240 interchange torn up for new interchange, and also i44/i40 interchange by mathis brothers have additional lanes added to it.

Looks like 2019 will be a fun time to commute with all the main interchanges leaving downtown under construction.

]

http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/cwp-8-year-plan/cwp_ffy2012-ffy2019/pdfs/cwp_ffy2012-2019.pdf
FFY 2019, pg. 99 I think.


Cool. Thanks!

OKCisOK - that's why i said "when it was built" not how it is today. And no i'm not talking about at mathis brothers, that's 40, not 44 and 74.

What are you talking about? You mean I-40/I-44 where Mathis Brothers is on the NW corner? I don't think they'll ever touch this one either, but again, they need to. It needs to be widened to three thru lanes in all directions as it is highly congested during those rush hours.


There are plans to do this at the tail end of the eight year plan.

There are plans to work on it but for a spans that long twenty-seven million could be just a re-decking of the existing lanes instead of widening. Plus it seems far more often slowdowns come from i44 being backed up to the bridges than the bridges them self.

OKCisOK - that's why i said "when it was built" not how it is today. And no i'm not talking about at mathis brothers, that's 40, not 44 and 74.

Yes and if that's what I believe you believe you're talking about then your point makes no sense.

The NW 39 to Grand Blvd interchange was much worse when it was originally built. Then when the Parkway replaced Grand Blvd it got really messy. At one point it was necessary to cross 3 lanes, including the 44 west to 74 north exit ramp, to get from May Avenue to southbound I44. This led to many collisions, and finally a barricade was added to make the May-to-44 entrance impossible.

The multiple entrance ramps on 44 south are still quite a headache for merging traffic.

There are plans to work on it but for a spans that long twenty-seven million could be just a re-decking of the existing lanes instead of widening. Plus it seems far more often slowdowns come from i44 being backed up to the bridges than the bridges them self.

Maybe, I don't think they would redeck it before adding one extra lane though. You have five lanes and four lanes on either side of that bridge. A redecking project would reduce traffic to one lane during construction. Plus, the trend has been to widen I-40 all the way to Yukon.

Maybe, I don't think they would redeck it before adding one extra lane though. You have five lanes and four lanes on either side of that bridge. A redecking project would reduce traffic to one lane during construction. Plus, the trend has been to widen I-40 all the way to Yukon.

Possibly but it would only end up a breakdown lane though, they are not going to allocate three through lanes to i40 on each bridge. Westbound they do not have enough lanes to make both them and the lanes from i44 all continue far enough to merge well and eastbound it looks like they are making two turn lanes from southbound i44 which will use all five lanes going eastbound.

Yes and if that's what I believe you believe you're talking about then your point makes no sense.

And how exactlly is that? My point was it was designed for a different traffic load than we have now. It was designed for what they projected to happen, which is pretty damned accurate. They just misjudged the amount of traffic going south on 44. You always see more traffic flowing straight through at any given point in the day that curving to 44....either direction. Rush hour is the only time it changes, and it's only on the south-bound 44 merge. They've tried to alter it several times since it's construction...none of them really doing much.

So how does that not make sense?

At the time they built it 74 north turned into a 2 lane road. There was more traffic flow on the interstate. It wasn't built when Hefner Parkway was built so my point IS they should have built 44 through the current interchange with 4 lanes total instead of just 2. Its the most cockemamy interchange in the state for the volume of traffic it carries.