This week's weather is mostly good for concrete pouring, so you'll probably see the median barriers finished and the remaining lanes close to paved... last week was too cold on a couple days for concrete pours, so they slowed up a little bit.

Can someone explain to me how those two cloverleafs on the west side are going to be less of a cluster **** then the two clover leafs were that used to be on the east side? Cars trying to get on 235 playing bumper cars with cars getting off 235. Just a different direction. What am I missing here?

It won't cause issues with through traffic on 235 going south, but it absolutely is going to be a merge disaster for cars trying to use those 2 clovers.

The somewhat upside is, to resolve this only 1 additional flyover will need to be built in the future. 1 clover can remain for eternity and wouldn't ever be an issue. Its just the merge point that is gonna cause a chokepoint and major slowdowns & wreck potential.

I don't think its ideal, but I don't see it being a disaster or cluster****. How is it going to cause major slowdowns? Its isolated from major traffic flow.

It won't cause issues with through traffic on 235 going south, but it absolutely is going to be a merge disaster for cars trying to use those 2 clovers.

The somewhat upside is, to resolve this only 1 additional flyover will need to be built in the future. 1 clover can remain for eternity and wouldn't ever be an issue. Its just the merge point that is gonna cause a chokepoint and major slowdowns & wreck potential.

no it won't

Oklahoma has $5 billion from the most recent infrastructure bill. Now is the time to use that money wisely to improve those roads leading to bridges (that we repaired or rebuilt) and work on improvements especially in major interchanges in Oklahoma City and Tulsa as well as cities throughout the state.

I've driven I-235/I-44 interchange, it's refreshing to see more invested in Oklahoma's roads and infrastructure. Like most interchanges, you must stay focused on your driving and watching out (defensive driving) for drivers unfamiliar with these types of interchanges.

If there are improvements to I-235/I-44 contact ODOT with your concerns and asked them have they received any of the $5 billion earmarked for Oklahoma.

The Most Dangerous Intersections in Oklahoma City: https://www.oklalegal.com/blog/the-most-dangerous-intersections-in-oklahoma-city/

Construction on Tulsa highway interchange proving difficult for drivers: https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/interchange-proving-difficult-for-drivers

Swake or Big918 , do anyone of you have updates on Tulsa street infrastructure projects.

Those top three are all newly constructed and at the same location. I drive it every day and have always thought they did a crummy job. Just a block away, Classen(/Western?) goes under OKC blvd. There is no reason for the lights at Klein. If they hadn't made Klein intersect OKC blvd like that, it would have been so much better. They even changed Sheridan between Western and Klein to two-way from One-way when they made those changes.

Oklahoma has $5 billion from the most recent infrastructure bill. Now is the time to use that money wisely to improve those roads leading to bridges (that we repaired or rebuilt) and work on improvements especially in major interchanges in Oklahoma City and Tulsa as well as cities throughout the state.

I've driven I-235/I-44 interchange, it's refreshing to see more invested in Oklahoma's roads and infrastructure. Like most interchanges, you must stay focused on your driving and watching out (defensive driving) for drivers unfamiliar with these types of interchanges.

If there are improvements to I-235/I-44 contact ODOT with your concerns and asked them have they received any of the $5 billion earmarked for Oklahoma.

The Most Dangerous Intersections in Oklahoma City: https://www.oklalegal.com/blog/the-most-dangerous-intersections-in-oklahoma-city/

Construction on Tulsa highway interchange proving difficult for drivers: https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/interchange-proving-difficult-for-drivers

Swake or Big918 , do anyone of you have updates on Tulsa street infrastructure projects.

Though using money wisely probably is going to have it go elsewhere, ODOT deemed the traffic count on the remaining cloverleaves too low to warrant using funds to make them a flyover, and this would be replacing some of the newest concrete on the system that will require little maintenance for decades,

The state has been on a push to repair bridges on freeway type roads for around a decade due to how bad they had been getting, so like 90% of those needing major work either have been done or already had funds allocated from the normal budget in the next few years, and are finally set to keep up with those reconstructions within the normal budget. The next big push probably is bridges for either rural highways or county roads. It also seems like they have been leaning to a major push on putting shoulders on more rural highways and improving areas of rural highways with major curves or dramatic gradient changes.

5 Billion may sound like a lot but really it is slightly below 3 years of ODOTs normal budget, and if price fluctuations on construction material continue it is effectively producing less than that, so we are likely not getting anything that was not already on the 8 year plan with that money.

I was hoping maybe they could consolidate most of what is in the current 8 year plan in 5 years and have 3 years of lots of new projects to add. I’m excited to see the 8 yr plan update this coming October. Hopefully the state doesn’t act stupid and try to reduce taxes and revenue as they like to do whenever they get new money.

Though using money wisely probably is going to have it go elsewhere, ODOT deemed the traffic count on the remaining cloverleaves too low to warrant using funds to make them a flyover, and this would be replacing some of the newest concrete on the system that will require little maintenance for decades,

The state has been on a push to repair bridges on freeway type roads for around a decade due to how bad they had been getting, so like 90% of those needing major work either have been done or already had funds allocated from the normal budget in the next few years, and are finally set to keep up with those reconstructions within the normal budget. The next big push probably is bridges for either rural highways or county roads. It also seems like they have been leaning to a major push on putting shoulders on more rural highways and improving areas of rural highways with major curves or dramatic gradient changes.

5 Billion may sound like a lot but really it is slightly below 3 years of ODOTs normal budget, and if price fluctuations on construction material continue it is effectively producing less than that, so we are likely not getting anything that was not already on the 8 year plan with that money.

Hope that's the situation.

Well, if most of our streets and bridges are covered, maybe that $5 billion can be used on early retirement 2017 bonds on Better Streets, Safer City, the State Fair Coliseum (extra $100 million) & Paycom Arena (extra $100 million) upgrades (City owned projects) and more funding for Oklahoma City parks.

Two billion (20% each) awarded to our two largest cities Oklahoma City & Tulsa (40% of $5 billion) alone could fund a lot of projects including a $250 million downtown tourist Aquarian (probably pay for itself) that didn't make the cut on MAPS 4's 16 project initiative.

Am I missing something...

instead of 20% each, make it proportional by pop to be fair.

Yeah OKC should get more than Tulsa.

Though using money wisely probably is going to have it go elsewhere, ODOT deemed the traffic count on the remaining cloverleaves too low to warrant using funds to make them a flyover, and this would be replacing some of the newest concrete on the system that will require little maintenance for decades,

The state has been on a push to repair bridges on freeway type roads for around a decade due to how bad they had been getting, so like 90% of those needing major work either have been done or already had funds allocated from the normal budget in the next few years, and are finally set to keep up with those reconstructions within the normal budget. The next big push probably is bridges for either rural highways or county roads. It also seems like they have been leaning to a major push on putting shoulders on more rural highways and improving areas of rural highways with major curves or dramatic gradient changes.

5 Billion may sound like a lot but really it is slightly below 3 years of ODOTs normal budget, and if price fluctuations on construction material continue it is effectively producing less than that, so we are likely not getting anything that was not already on the 8 year plan with that money.

Well....no because this $5 billion is in addition too ODOTs normal budget.

There's no reason for the legislature to allocate money away form ODOT either as the state is crushed flush with cash from all over. (2X covid relief, infrastructure bill, economic growth, energy prices are high)

Well....no because this $5 billion is in addition too ODOTs normal budget.

There's no reason for the legislature to allocate money away form ODOT either as the state is crushed flush with cash from all over. (2X covid relief, infrastructure bill, economic growth, energy prices are high)

True, ODOT need not lose any funds.

Whatever formula you use to divide the money (Needs use, City populations or MSA populations), Tulsa and OKC should receive the bulk of $5 billion.

This is why the 'extra money' should make a difference. It can be used on infrastructure projects; what infrastructure projects qualify for these funds.

Can OKC use some any of these funds like an extra $100 million on the State Fair Coliseum ($200 million project) to make it larger (Do away with the hotel sales tax tied to this project), expand the coliseum from 5,000 to 16,000 seats and make it more comparable to Fort Worth's Dixie's Arena. It would be nice to welcome AA (East Coast Hockey League --Tulsa/Wichita rivals back to our city.

.

Well....no because this $5 billion is in addition too ODOTs normal budget.

There's no reason for the legislature to allocate money away form ODOT either as the state is crushed flush with cash from all over. (2X covid relief, infrastructure bill, economic growth, energy prices are high)

Just because there's no reason for them to do it doesn't mean they won't.

Just because there's no reason for them to do it doesn't mean they won't.

Well just have to wait and see I suppose.

They have shifted WB I-44 to the northern-most lanes:

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HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/235013022c.jpg

Not much progress in the last week due to the weather, but with a mild and dry forecast for the foreseeable future, I would expect them to get a lot done in the next couple of weeks.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/235020622a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/235020622b.jpg

Did anybody drive through the intersection this morning?

I took photos yesterday (will post in a bit) and they were putting down the permanent striping for both I-44 and I-235; several lanes were closed.

They may have opened everything up this morning. Almost certainly I-44 is fully open now.

As you can see, it sure looks like they are pretty much finished:

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Not sure what there were doing this weekend but had the northbound down to one lane to take up some concrete and put it back down. Hopefully that is cleared up for the normal 5pm traffic today as it caused major backups on Saturday.

Not sure what there were doing this weekend but had the northbound down to one lane to take up some concrete and put it back down. Hopefully that is cleared up for the normal 5pm traffic today as it caused major backups on Saturday.

They were striping the newly completed sections.

They were down to one lane on both sides of I-44 and had the NB and SB exit ramps off I-44 completely closed.

They were striping the newly completed sections.

They were down to one lane on both sides of I-44 and had the NB and SB exit ramps off I-44 completely closed.

Last night around 6:00 p.m., they had every exit off WB I-44 closed and it was down to one lane to almost Penn. As far as I could tell, no work was being done. And there was no warning that the exit ramps were closed.
Hopefully they have it open today. Otherwise, a lot of people were really late to work today.

Last night around 6:00 p.m., they had every exit off WB I-44 closed and it was down to one lane to almost Penn. As far as I could tell, no work was being done. And there was no warning that the exit ramps were closed.
Hopefully they have it open today. Otherwise, a lot of people were really late to work today.

This annoyed me the most over the weekend. We were out running errands and had planned to go by Trader Joes and a couple of places... Got on I44, couldn't get off anywhere we needed to be, and finally exited Kelly and went down 63rd. There were no signs warning folks, no detour or alternate route paths. God forbid someone without GPS or something was coming up I44 and needed to get on 235 N. I know the area so know all the alternate paths, but why would they not provide sufficient signage/markings for work like this?

Did anybody drive through the intersection this morning?

I took photos yesterday (will post in a bit) and they were putting down the permanent striping for both I-44 and I-235; several lanes were closed.

They may have opened everything up this morning. Almost certainly I-44 is fully open now.

I was driving home after the super bowl last night going WB on 44 and they were picking up the construction cones. All three lanes were open and it was incredible.

Just went by there (Monday around noon) and I-44 is done. All lanes and merging lanes are wide open, striped... It's glorious.

Still doing some final work on 235 but they could be done in a week or two.

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/235021422a.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/235021422b.jpg

The first day it is fully opened I want to watch a live cam and see how traffic does.

Also, NB 235 just past the interchange is now fully opened to 3 lanes; no more choke-down to slow traffic.

And I noticed that when you enter SB 235 from NW 63rd, cars will have to stay in the lanes and bridge dedicated for the two remaining cloverleaves. They've set up barriers to route traffic in that way. So, you will soon be able to blow through this area on SB 235 with very minimal impact due to merging or exiting. NB was always going to be that way with the new flyovers.

Finally a decent merge lane on the NB to WB flyover.

Finally a decent merge lane on the NB to WB flyover.

Looks pretty short from what I can see. Would have preferred a much longer one.

Looks pretty short from what I can see. Would have preferred a much longer one.

When driving, it's not that short.

It's combined with the exit lane for Western. I think it's going to work pretty well.

When driving, it's not that short.

It's combined with the exit lane for Western. I think it's going to work pretty well.

I can't tell from the photos but it looks as if it merges before the SB to WB lane comes in just past the RR overpass. Since there is no shoulder to use a a "bailout", that would make it short IMO.

Is it odd to be excited about a commute home?

Is it odd to be excited about a commute home?

After all these years, I have to say it was incredibly gratifying to drive both directions today.

When 235 is finished, will be even moreso.

I don't even commute through there but am excited. I remember having to take that every day and sit in that traffic. I don't miss it.

Kind of odd to think back precovid when my office was in that area, but have been working from home for almost two years now.

I didn't pay attention to speed limit signs on my in this morning and was still poking along at construction speeds until it hit me right at the interchange that all lanes were open and at 60MPH! Yes, I am excited to commute home at full speed with no barriers closing in on both sides for the first time in YEARS!

I wonder if this project’s completion will serve as a catalyst for development of all that vacant land northwest of this intersection. That prison/halfway house/whatever is in an enviable location.

I wonder if this project’s completion will serve as a catalyst for development of all that vacant land northwest of this intersection. That prison/halfway house/whatever is in an enviable location.

The group that owns the Paragon office building along 235 has a billboard just to the north with a proposed office building. It's been there for years.

And years back, there was a proposed infill project on either side of Robinson between 44 and NW 63rd called Robinson Hill.

Lots of potential in that area.

I didn't pay attention to speed limit signs on my in this morning and was still poking along at construction speeds until it hit me right at the interchange that all lanes were open and at 60MPH! Yes, I am excited to commute home at full speed with no barriers closing in on both sides for the first time in YEARS!

The north to west ramp is no longer signed as 35 MPH (not that anyone paid attention to it anyway), and the merge with mainline I-44 is better than ever.

Here are the renderings:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/paragon2021422a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/robinsonhill021422a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/robinsonhill021422b.jpg

Interesting. Is all that land owned by one entity or would it need to be assembled for such a comprehensive use? My guess is COVID and the surplus space at Chesapeake would make this a hard sell at the moment. But it’s interesting to consider. That would seem to be some of the best land in the city.

Press release:

***********

I-235 ramps closed, I-235 narrowed to one lane Saturday and Sunday

Southbound I-235/US-77 is narrowed to one lane and northbound is narrowed to two lanes between N. 36th St. and N. 63rd St. and all on- and off-ramps at I-44, N. 36th St., N. 50th St. and N. 63rd are closed from 6 a.m. to midnight Saturday for lane striping.

Additionally, northbound I-235/US-77 will be narrowed to one lane and all northbound ramps will be closed between N. 36th St. and N. 63rd St. from 6 a.m. to midnight Sunday.

Drivers can expect significant delays or should use an alternate route like I-35 or SH-74/Lake Hefner Pkwy and I-44.

Hooray! Glad this interchange is finally done, and it's weird but refreshing to see traffic flow through here marked as green in Google Maps during rush hour. Now if we could just get the remaining phases of the I-35/I-240 interchange going... Soon hopefully!

Not until 2023 :/

Not until 2023 :/

The state's fiscal year begins July 1, so if ODOT is targeting FY 2023 for the start of work then that could be in as little as 4½ months. Here's hoping!

The state's fiscal year begins July 1, so if ODOT is targeting FY 2023 for the start of work then that could be in as little as 4½ months. Here's hoping!
Fingers crossed! Hey while we’re at it let’s just sneak that Santa Fe bridge into the contract ;)

As of this morning (Monday @ 8 AM), everything is completely open.

The only exception is that the far left lane of the southbound bridge is closed, which means two lanes southbound, not including the western southbound bridge with also has two lanes.

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/235022122a.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/235022122b.jpg

For reference, this photo is from June 2019:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/23544063019a.jpg

A tremendous improvement. Didn't go all the way with right hand flyovers only, but still a massive improvement,

Does anybody know if they still have speed limit restrictions in place going north or is it still considered "under construction"?

Does anybody know if they still have speed limit restrictions in place going north or is it still considered "under construction"?

This afternoon there weren't any speed restrictions northbound.

I drove through it on Tuesday. It was mostly flowing nicely at rush hour. There was a cop on the shoulder which caused a slight slowdown.

As most on here predicted, it caused a lot of traffic to the north where 235 & JKT intersects. Actually, moderate/heavy traffic backed up to Wilshire/Britton area. OTA needs to fix the merge area from 235 to west JKT

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/235022722a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/235022722b.jpg

Wow...what a project!

I drove through it on Tuesday. It was mostly flowing nicely at rush hour. There was a cop on the shoulder which caused a slight slowdown.

As most on here predicted, it caused a lot of traffic to the north where 235 & JKT intersects. Actually, moderate/heavy traffic backed up to Wilshire/Britton area. OTA needs to fix the merge area from 235 to west JKT

I would love it if they'd turn the far left lane or shoulder into an Express from about Wilshire to just past the JKT... let those going past that mess free flow through there.

Why do they still have the far left lane on southbound Broadway closed? I can't tell they did anything to improve morning rush hour traffic flow at this point.

I would love it if they'd turn the far left lane or shoulder into an Express from about Wilshire to just past the JKT... let those going past that mess free flow through there.

I thought those lanes were specialized for high-occupancy vehicles. Unless you got a bus, a business vehicle, or a carpool, you won't be able to drive in it. I'm sure it'll also be hard to regulate on the interstate unless you plan on installing cameras throughout the freeway, which I'm sure many people would be opposed to. It would also require for there to be a few more lanes in either direction. All throughout the Atlanta metro, they have these lanes and even those get stocked up on business days because of the population density. When there's a small amount of people who carpool, it's fine. But even when there's a <10% carpool rate, that's still a lot of cars in a metro consisting of 6 million people. So as time goes along, you'll only get more people to use that lane.

On the flip side, using an Uber or Lyft would be a dream in this circumstance starting off.

Why do they still have the far left lane on southbound Broadway closed? I can't tell they did anything to improve morning rush hour traffic flow at this point.

Likely they still have a few things to finish up, it is not that uncommon for there to be things being wrapping up months after the road lanes are all opened

I thought those lanes were specialized for high-occupancy vehicles. Unless you got a bus, a business vehicle, or a carpool, you won't be able to drive in it. I'm sure it'll also be hard to regulate on the interstate unless you plan on installing cameras throughout the freeway, which I'm sure many people would be opposed to. It would also require for there to be a few more lanes in either direction. All throughout the Atlanta metro, they have these lanes and even those get stocked up on business days because of the population density. When there's a small amount of people who carpool, it's fine. But even when there's a <10% carpool rate, that's still a lot of cars in a metro consisting of 6 million people. So as time goes along, you'll only get more people to use that lane.

On the flip side, using an Uber or Lyft would be a dream in this circumstance starting off.

Nothing I saw in plans indicated HOV lanes, and it is not like ODOT is using them anywhere else in the state. The closest to that which I have see get serious consideration is OKC doing some BRT lanes, but those would be on city streets.

The closest to that which I have see get serious consideration is OKC doing some BRT lanes, but those would be on city streets.

which are not really BRT (they only have BRT separate lanes at intersections and are just in normal traffic between)