17747

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEkfAVOGkL4

Well that bridge is definitely overdue to be dozed and replaced. It's going to be a mess, but glad they are doing it.

Now Mayor Holt, stop being dumb and keep Douglas open for all the through traffic on Douglas that uses this and FAR exceeds the Tinker traffic.

^^^^ or just lower the road and place a cap on it. It wouldn’t be that expensive in the grand scheme of things. Not even sure if it would require a ventilation system being classified as a tunnel or not. If this expansion will help Tinker grow then I’m all for it. We can get the best of both worlds. It really isn’t that hard to do.

Even if it would be considered a tunnel and needed a ventilation system which would drive up costs it still wouldn’t be that expensive compared to a bored tunnel. This would simply require a trench dug, a cap placed over it, and a ventilation system with a small stack somewhere nearby. It wouldn’t be much effort at all.

Now Mayor Holt, stop being dumb and keep Douglas open for all the through traffic on Douglas that uses this and FAR exceeds the Tinker traffic.

yeah he doesn't really have the sway or want to stop it ..

^^^^ or just lower the road and place a cap on it. It wouldn’t be that expensive in the grand scheme of things. Not even sure if it would require a ventilation system being classified as a tunnel or not. If this expansion will help Tinker grow then I’m all for it. We can get the best of both worlds. It really isn’t that hard to do.

Even if it would be considered a tunnel and needed a ventilation system which would drive up costs it still wouldn’t be that expensive compared to a bored tunnel. This would simply require a trench dug, a cap placed over it, and a ventilation system with a small stack somewhere nearby. It wouldn’t be much effort at all.

You're talking about organizations that appear to be stuck decades behind current best practices, so yeah, it would be much effort for *them* to do it. Any other state or big city, maybe not, but it won't happen here.

You're talking about organizations that appear to be stuck decades behind current best practices, so yeah, it would be much effort for *them* to do it. Any other state or big city, maybe not, but it won't happen here.

it is in no way a "best practice" to put a public road tunnel under a military installation ..

You're talking about organizations that appear to be stuck decades behind current best practices, so yeah, it would be much effort for *them* to do it. Any other state or big city, maybe not, but it won't happen here.

Not too smart to put a road under a military base.

You're talking about organizations that appear to be stuck decades behind current best practices, so yeah, it would be much effort for *them* to do it. Any other state or big city, maybe not, but it won't happen here.

How many roads underneath military bases do you think there are? Not sure why you use this to bash Oklahoma.

I believe this question was asked before and people already responded with several examples of roads that passed under military bases in another thread.

Can someone please layout an example of something that could go wrong? It’s so easy to post about why it wouldn’t work but how about a solution? What are you people expecting to happen? This road would be passing under a runway or taxi lane of some sort, no? Assuming there’s a plane or some precious cargo coupled with cameras and live monitoring the tunnels could simply be shut down while the transport is moved across them. Easy. So what’s the issue?

I believe this question was asked before and people already responded with several examples of roads that passed under military bases in another thread.

Can someone please layout an example of something that could go wrong? It’s so easy to post about why it wouldn’t work but how about a solution? What are you people expecting to happen? This road would be passing under a runway or taxi lane of some sort, no? Assuming there’s a plane or some precious cargo coupled with cameras and live monitoring the tunnels could simply be shut down while the transport is moved across them. Easy. So what’s the issue?

Cost-benefit analysis would show this would not be worth the money it would cost, in my opinion.

Cost-benefit analysis would show this would not be worth the money it would cost, in my opinion.
Was one even done?

Was one even done?

I would guess with every project done, there is one performed.t might not be public, but cost-benefit analyses are very common. Similar to a pro-con list.

How many roads underneath military bases do you think there are? Not sure why you use this to bash Oklahoma.

I'm bashing ODOT and the city engineering depts in general, not specifically for this project.

For Douglas, they are just pandering to Tinker, which has a ton of wasted and unused space. This isn't a need, its just expansion in a land grab. There is no "base" east of Douglas. They would be creating it. Heck, they never finished projects they had planned over there and tore down a bunch of what they did have. There is already a huge amount of land and connecting the two is LESS beneficial than just putting a real airplane bridge in. It's thinly veiled and the city is just bowing to it because they dont want to appear to not be 100000% behind whatever Tinker wants.

If you haven't seen it, there are flightline plans that show what Tinker would prefer to take. It would basically close Del City north of I-40, and Midwest City north of 29th far past Glenwood. Really up to Reno and beyond. 240 would go away. It's ridiculous that they want their "accident" zone at whatever cost to the surrounding community. But if we disagree at all, then we're branded anti-Tinker and in danger of supporting its closure. Personally, I feel like there's a middle ground in there.

For Douglas, they are just pandering to Tinker, which has a ton of wasted and unused space. This isn't a need, its just expansion in a land grab. There is no "base" east of Douglas. They would be creating it. Heck, they never finished projects they had planned over there and tore down a bunch of what they did have. There is already a huge amount of land and connecting the two is LESS beneficial than just putting a real airplane bridge in. It's thinly veiled and the city is just bowing to it because they dont want to appear to not be 100000% behind whatever Tinker wants.

If you haven't seen it, there are flightline plans that show what Tinker would prefer to take. It would basically close Del City north of I-40, and Midwest City north of 29th far past Glenwood. Really up to Reno and beyond. 240 would go away. It's ridiculous that they want their "accident" zone at whatever cost to the surrounding community. But if we disagree at all, then we're branded anti-Tinker and in danger of supporting its closure. Personally, I feel like there's a middle ground in there.

there is "base" east of douglas .... and there is not "ton of wasted and unused space" ...

accident zones are not made by the base ...

and of course the city and county and state want to support what TAFB (the states largest single site employer) wants

Tinker will continue to grow and growing east across Douglas makes the most sense ..

OK since we want to talk through the points......

Yes there are some areas east of Douglas like Consolidated Fuels, the Boeing MROTC, and the Communications Wing. But they are all dotted around and are not congiuous. There is no "base" east of Douglas. What they are wanting to do is make a land grab and turn all the grass (and Douglas) into all part of the base land and then fence it in. And in fact, the MROTC has MORE land than has been used because it was designed to house 17 hangers. We have only built 3 so far. The plans fit within the space already designated for the project and wouldn't require the use of Douglas or 59th. Again, they already have a LOT of room.

Accident Zones are made by the Air Force. If you think Tinker officials are fighting against that, then dream on. There have been many many many publications about his over the years.

As for wasted space, there is absolutely wasted space ALL OVER Tinker. Each organization builds their small single floor or MAYBE 2 floor buildings for their specific purposes. 3001 is the best example of how it could be done better, but they've abandoned that idea ever since it was constructed. Both the North and East main complexes could do a LOT of consolidation in to more contiguous structures that more efficiently can do the jobs that all the individual structures are doing. Not much to do on the flightline iteself, but ESPECIALLY down towards the GM plant, there is room. LOTs of room. They, in fact, had enough room to add that entire squadron hanger space and not even really have to think about it....and still have room to expand it.

And you proved my point. Any time anyone questions if Tinker should get something, they're turned in to the bad guy. We're all expected to just let them have whatever they want without pushback. Look, i grew up in MWC. I know what Tinker means. My wife worked there for a while, plenty of friends have worked there, plenty of other family members have worked there. Just because we're all linked to it doesn't mean that we can't have conversations to control the reach. They are now going to impact all of us and the city doesn't seem willing to look in to what's going to be needed to make up for it (exits for Post on 40/240, turning Post in to 4 lanes (and what to the people that live there think about that). And again, i'll say that the through traffic EXCEEDS the Tinker traffic on Douglas. It can't be ignored.

We could easily have an East extension of the base with bridges for plane and car traffic and not close Douglas. That's certainly been done elsewhere.

Press release from ODOT:


Monday, November 28, 2022
Numerous dignitaries and community members gathered at I-40 and Douglas Blvd. in Midwest City Tuesday morning to break ground on a more than $170 million interchange reconstruction project. The event also honored U.S. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, for his years of service to the state and specifically for his role in improving state transportation. The Oklahoma Legislature named the interchange in the senator's honor.

The interchange will be reconstructed as a Single-Point Urban Interchange, also known as a SPUI, which improves traffic flow and safety while minimizing impacts to surrounding properties. This will be the fourth SPUI on the state highway system. Other locations of with a SPUI design include I-40 and Morgan Rd., I-35 and Main St. in Norman, and I-35 and Lindsey St. in Norman.

Additionally, just more than 6 miles of I-40 will be widened to six lanes between Industrial Blvd. and the I-240 interchange. Work also will address nine bridges including raising the Westminster Rd. bridge over I-40 to accommodate modern truck traffic, reconstruction of the Douglas Blvd. bridge and removal of the Engle Rd. bridge.

"Improving bridges on this project is just another example of Oklahoma’s larger bridge story in how the state went from 49th in the nation a short 15 years ago to now No. 5 nationally for good bridge conditions. All Oklahomans should be proud of that and our senior senator has been a big part of why we've been able to achieve that ranking. That means that fewer than 1 percent of Oklahoma’s highway system bridges are structurally deficient and there are no structurally deficient bridges remaining in this area," said Secretary of Transportation Tim Gatz.

Other speakers at the event also offered their gratitude for Sen. Inhofe and support for the project.
"It is impossible to truly express the importance of Sen. Inhofe to the state of Oklahoma. Since being elected in 2005, he has been a titan, especially when it comes to transportation, infrastructure and his support for our military," said U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Edmond. ".. For many years he served as chairman and ranking member of the Environment and Public Works committee and worked to craft major pieces of transportation and infrastructure legislation that greatly benefited Oklahoma, including MAP 21 and the FAST Act.

"This interchange is right near the gates to Tinker Air Force Base, making this both a key military and economic investment. In fact, I think it's perfectly fitting that the largest dollar amount contract in Oklahoma Transportation history be named after him."

Midwest City Mayor Matt Dukes also congratulated Sen. Inhofe.

"Senator, words escape me to appreciate the number of years you have served this country, state and, of course, our community. Thanks for being here, this is a great project for our community. It's going to facilitate traffic flow, but better yet, it demonstrates the partnership with the City of Midwest City, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration," Dukes said.

Sen. Inhofe thanked the speakers and crowd for attending. "This is a huge project. It means a lot to me and I thank you for it," Inhofe said.

The project was awarded in October to Allen Contracting Inc. and Shell Construction Co. Inc. Included in the funding is a $51 million federal INFRA grant, which was awarded in June 2021.

- https://oklahoma.gov/odot/citizen/newsroom/2022/i-40-douglas-blvd--groundbreaking-ceremony-highlights-upcoming-c.html

Why did they move to Douglas before Sunnylane and the stretch just east of where they’re still working at Air Depot?

Why did they move to Douglas before Sunnylane and the stretch just east of where they’re still working at Air Depot?
Likely because that stretch will be included with an expansion of the interstate between Tinker and SE 29th St. There is zero room to expand the freeway there. It’ll either require a complete realignment of 29th st or placing the freeway below grade with a cantilever setup similar to how the service roads hang over US-75(Central Expressway) in Dallas.

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about: https://maps.app.goo.gl/p6LMh3LEDuMEpQVW6?g_st=ic

It would likely be a smaller scale though. It’ll still be very expensive and I doubt ODOT gets around to that anytime soon. That’s going to be a bottleneck we’re stuck with for a decade or so.

Why did they move to Douglas before Sunnylane and the stretch just east of where they’re still working at Air Depot?

don't know why the delay but I40 over 29th bridges are scheduled for 2028


I-40: EB & WB OVER SE 29TH IN MWC
Proj. Work Desc. 11:BRIDGE & APPROACHES
Programmed FY 2028
Programmed Amount 6,000,000

and sunnylane bridges is 2027

I-40: EB & WB BRIDGES OVER SUNNYLANE 1.9 MIS. E. OF I-35
Proj. Work Desc. 11:BRIDGE & APPROACHES
Programmed FY 2027
Programmed Amount 10,000,000

Likely because that stretch will be included with an expansion of the interstate between Tinker and SE 29th St. There is zero room to expand the freeway there. It’ll either require a complete realignment of 29th st or placing the freeway below grade with a cantilever setup similar to how the service roads hang over US-75(Central Expressway) in Dallas.

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about: https://maps.app.goo.gl/p6LMh3LEDuMEpQVW6?g_st=ic

It would likely be a smaller scale though. It’ll still be very expensive and I doubt ODOT gets around to that anytime soon. That’s going to be a bottleneck we’re stuck with for a decade or so.

I'm not sure that this is actually true for this phase. There is enough room to add another lane on each side, but it would mean that there would just be no shoulder left. The shoulder today is pretty darn big. And that only really effects the portion right at Midwest Blvd. And really only about an 1/8 mile stretch of it. So even if 29th had to realign, it would be fairly minor. David Stanley/UHaul/Mathis Brothers probably stand to lose the most there. Their front parking lots are pretty thin already. It can be done, just means they lose the front row of spaces and those cars have to go to the back. It's not a huge loss for any of them. Cheddar's still has some grass frontage they would be able to give up to start the angle a bit, but wouldn't cause them to have to adjust their structure. Lord knows they wont ask Tinker to give up 1 ft of space.

But you really have to zoom in a lot on a google map (or drive it) to see what I mean. The Arnold St. rail bridge can come out since the tracks on either side dont' connect to anything anymore. And the bridge for Arnold may come out too. There hasn't been a real access gate there in 20 years. TInker may be hapy to just be rid of it. But even if they leave it, they have as much room as they had under the 240 bridge when they made that 3 lanes. Just removes the shoulder.

^^^ yeah but hopefully ODOT doesn’t do that. Shoulders are imperative to maintain safety standards and I don’t think any federal money would be allowed for this project even if it was approved with substandard designs. Could be a temporary option though.

I do believe that you can eliminate or reduce shoulder widths for stretches no longer than a defined amount, and still be in compliance with interstate design standards. I am not sure of the exact length but I believe around 800-1000ft.

I do believe that you can eliminate or reduce shoulder widths for stretches no longer than a defined amount, and still be in compliance with interstate design standards. I am not sure of the exact length but I believe around 800-1000ft.

the area in question is only a little over 2,000 feet .. it should become 6 lane ..

if it was not it would be the only 4 lane stretch I25 to grand casino in the next county

I do believe that you can eliminate or reduce shoulder widths for stretches no longer than a defined amount, and still be in compliance with interstate design standards. I am not sure of the exact length but I believe around 800-1000ft.

Heck yeah you can. Have you driven in Dallas or Houston?

Maybe Tinker will be nice enough to give back a little chuck of land since they are getting a whole road. I'm not sure if they even like having an interstate right against their fence. The assumption is they won't give up anything, but it if its to the benefit of their workforce they make an exception for an interstate improvement project. The lots in question are just storage right now.

There is a little frontage road space on the Tinker side. With it being below grade, it does make the border a little more secure than say, Sooner Rd where the fence doesn't always even touch the grass LOL.

It is difficult to work in this area. I would almost guarantee that the shoulders will not be turned into a lane. That’s not something ODOT does anymore if they ever did. The goal is to get 8’ outside and 4’ inside on separated interstates all through the state so it would be counter productive to take away the shoulder especially in a high wear area like the two lane area along 29th. If an expansion comes to that area it won’t be for a long time and it would be with tinkers blessing and right now they don’t want it and we don’t need it. It would just allow more cars onto I-40 barreling towards an interchange that is overwhelmed already

Odot is not going to leave 2000 feet of 4 lane in a 30+ mile stretch from i35 well into the next county that will all be 6 lane

Odot is not going to leave 2000 feet of 4 lane in a 30+ mile stretch from i35 well into the next county that will all be 6 lane
Agreed but this will likely be the last project they undertake for this corridor in this widening.

I'm curious if the areas you're writing about that narrow patch near the two water towers. Won't they need to be relocated at some point?

I'm curious if the areas you're writing about that narrow patch near the two water towers. Won't they need to be relocated at some point?

Yeah the area from about Midwest Blvd to the water towers. The towers will probably need to move further away and the few buildings might have to be modified but most likely just lose the road on the back side and be right up on the highway. Not saying it’s not getting expanded because it will. Eventually. But it will take a lot of creative engineering and SPUIs and that just means a lot of money and time

Yeah the area from about Midwest Blvd to the water towers. The towers will probably need to move further away and the few buildings might have to be modified but most likely just lose the road on the back side and be right up on the highway. Not saying it’s not getting expanded because it will. Eventually. But it will take a lot of creative engineering and SPUIs and that just means a lot of money and time

The 2000 feet in question doesn’t have any impact of an interchange. And has room for 6 lane with no shoulders currently

The 2000 feet in question doesn’t have any impact of an interchange. And has room for 6 lane with no shoulders currently

Right, dont confuse the SPUI with the area where the "squeeze" is. The squeeze is only a very short area right around those water towers at Midwest Blvd. Lots of different options. But it depends on if the Feds are willing to give anything up or if they will force the state/city to give up land for it. Given how Tinker is, i'm sure TInker will say that they wont give up anything.

Here's an EXTREMELY rough look at what i would see. Basically, Mathis Brothers potentially goes (depends on if they just use the side lot for parking...i think they can). Uhaul would have to toss their front building and maybe their indoor storage building. It's a shame because it means they have to . David Stanley might as well close. Cheddar's just loses some parking lot.
1776017760

If Tinker is willing to give up some room, it makes things a little less impactful on the businesses. But i just dont see it happening. Honestly, Tinker has the room, but i dont see them cooperating to give up that shoulder space. I think they could add a wall or something and call it good, but that's me.

I dont see any way they would do this, but they COULD make this a stacked bridge for this short strip and just put Eastbound on top of Westbound on the existing footprint. Like I said, it's not gonna happen, but hey, they did it for the express lanes in Austin and Dallas for MUCH longer runs.

https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/odot/documents/federal-grants/infra/2018/oklahoma-county-i-40-and-douglas/maps-and-graphics/i-40-douglas-interchange-future-single-point-urban-interchange.pdf

https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/odot/documents/federal-grants/infra/2018/oklahoma-county-i-40-and-douglas/maps-and-graphics/i-40-douglas-interchange-future-single-point-urban-interchange.pdf
Is that going to be one of those Diverging Diamond interchanges, or am I seeing things?

Is that going to be one of those Diverging Diamond interchanges, or am I seeing things?

i think this one is a SPUI single point urban interchange ..

There is one at Morgan and I-40 that was built several years ago. Traffic would back up a qtr mile on I-40 west bound to exit on Morgan. The SPUI corrected that situation.

Then Main St in Norman got one. I'm sure it alleviated traffic issues there. This will help Douglas immensely.

There is one at Morgan and I-40 that was built several years ago. Traffic would back up a qtr mile on I-40 west bound to exit on Morgan. The SPUI corrected that situation.

Then Main St in Norman got one. I'm sure it alleviated traffic issues there. This will help Douglas immensely.

While the bridge deck is in need of maintenance, it is currently a full cloverleaf not a standard interchange, so still a downgrade on capacity it can handle.

So i think its in how you look at it. For this interchange, no there were no lights on either end of the interchange before, and now there will be one. So in that term, yes there will be a reduction in the N/S traffic that can flow. Simply putting a light there causes that.

However, what it also does, is prevent the crossing traffic that's a merge danger between offramp and onramp traffic. That's especially bad at Tinker shift change. So sacrificing that flow-through, i think adds other elements of safety that make up for it. It will cause some delays as now you can't go west bound on I40 from north bound Douglas (from Tinker) without stopping at that light that doesn't exist today. It's a bit of a bummer, but in what I've seen of those lights in Norman, they cycle pretty darned fast. Morgan has all that freight traffic, so i dont think that it's a fair comparison.

It also adds the benefit of simply giving the bridge over I-40 more room for more lanes. Squeezing the 6 in there was going to be a challenge. So it's an expensive way to do it, but it does it while eliminating that merge ramp traffic at the same time. Honestly, they didn't have many other options here given the traffic amount that happens in surges.

The traffic flow is also going to be a lot different when Tinker closes Douglas.

Not sure if this is the correct thread, but I'm curious... ODOT's master plan is to have I-40 widened to 6 lanes from the Shawnee exit all the way to downtown OKC. But what is their plan for widening that small stretch of I-40 between Douglas and Air Depot? It's 4 lanes currently and I see no way for them to widen it without Tinker giving up some land, which I don't see happening.

Not sure if this is the correct thread, but I'm curious... ODOT's master plan is to have I-40 widened to 6 lanes from the Shawnee exit all the way to downtown OKC. But what is their plan for widening that small stretch of I-40 between Douglas and Air Depot? It's 4 lanes currently and I see no way for them to widen it without Tinker giving up some land, which I don't see happening.

there is another thread on this somewhere but there is only a small area less then 2000ft long that is an issue .. from eaker gate/town center drive exits/onramps going east to the arnold st bridge ..

it is very likely that this small section would go 6 lane with limited shoulders ..

I suspect they would just slightly shift SE 29th north a little bit. They could just ROW the Uhaul and car dealership and eliminate the curb cuts. No need for a center turning lane at that point. Reducing the brakedown widths is an option, but I doubt they would go this route.

I suspect they would just slightly shift SE 29th north a little bit. They could just ROW the Uhaul and car dealership and eliminate the curb cuts. No need for a center turning lane at that point. Reducing the brakedown widths is an option, but I doubt they would go this route.

what you are describing is a MASSIVE undertaking .. as I40 is well below grade in this section ..

what you are describing is a MASSIVE undertaking .. as I40 is well below grade in this section ..

Not really. It's just a small section that has the issue. That's the point of my images above. People tend to lump the entire I-40 stretch near 29th, into the same bucket. And it's not. It's only about 1/8 of a mile or less that has any real issue now. One little curve after the Towne Centre Drive exit, right at the water towers. It's only the width of those 2 businesses.

Remember as said above, the rail line is abandoned and doesn't even connect to anything any longer. It's been cut at the grade crossings in at least 3 places where the rails dont even connect to anywhere. That bridge can be removed. Next is the SPUI, which will take care of any issues at Douglas.

I-40 Douglas Boulevard Interchange Reconstruction and Related Wideninghttps://www.odot.org/ok-gov-docs/PROGRESS-AND-PERFORMANCE/FEDERAL-GRANTS/I-40%20Douglas/Applications/I-40%20FASTLANE%20Dec%2015%2016.docx.pdf

2
1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The I-40 Douglas Boulevard Interchange Reconstruction and Related Widening Project (“I-40 Douglas
Project”) will widen 5.5 miles of vintage 1960s Interstate 40 (I-40) and reconstruct the I-40 and Douglas
Boulevard Interchange. This will provide access improvements to Tinker Air Force Base and the cities of
Oklahoma City, Midwest City, and Del City, as well as accommodate traffic flow throughout the
metropolitan area, state, and nation.

1.1. Project Request [UPDATED]
In view of the importance of the I-40 Douglas Project, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT)
is submitting this request for $73.3 million in critically needed FASTLANE funds for the $127.1 million I-40
Douglas Project. Over $4.9 million will be expended by the end of 2017, leaving $122.2 million in future
eligible project costs.

Full closure scheduled to remove a bridge: https://kfor.com/news/local/full-i-40-closure-in-midwest-city-del-city-area-set-for-may-19-22/

https://oklahoma.gov/odot/citizen/newsroom/2023/full-i-40-closure-in-midwest-city-del-city-area-set-for-may-19-2.html

It's gonna be a real mess this weekend with all of I-40 between Choctaw Rd and I-35 being actually closed! 7:00pm Friday to 5:30am on Monday.

They're taking out one of the 2 lane bridges between Douglas and Midwest. Not the rail one, which I'm sure will come out later. This one is just west of Douglas and used to serve as a gate to Tinker but these days only serves as a path to an ramp to I40. It's the "replacement" for there not being a Midwest Blvd ramp. But sounds like it's going to be gone for good so you'll have to go either to Douglas or to MidAmerica/Industrial for access now.

The "fun" is only beginning. And it's gonna be a super mess. As if it wasn't fun enough while they worked on I-40 on the other side of MWC/DC (and they aren't technically done yet since the painting isn't complete).

I still question the need for the SPUI. With OKC hell bent on closing Douglas to through traffic, we're going to see a big reduction in traffic. I don't really see the logic for the future use, needing such a massive structure. But that's just me.

Full closure scheduled to remove a bridge: https://kfor.com/news/local/full-i-40-closure-in-midwest-city-del-city-area-set-for-may-19-22/

https://oklahoma.gov/odot/citizen/newsroom/2023/full-i-40-closure-in-midwest-city-del-city-area-set-for-may-19-2.html

this is the first time I have seen this quote


The project also is widening I-40 to six lanes between I-240 and Town Center Dr.

this would include our well discuss pinch 2000 ft section ..

this is the first time I have seen this quote



this would include our well discuss pinch 2000 ft section ..
I saw that and chalked it up to an error. How are they going to do that? Simply restripe the freeway? Otherwise there is no way they can modernize that stretch for the budget they have on this project. I knew it was being widened from around the Douglass BLVD interchange to I-240 but not to Town Center. I looked at all the plans and didn’t see anything about this section. I will now be emailing ODOT about this.

I saw that and chalked it up to an error. How are they going to do that? Simply restripe the freeway? Otherwise there is no way they can modernize that stretch for the budget they have on this project. I knew it was being widened from around the Douglass BLVD interchange to I-240 but not to Town Center. I looked at all the plans and didn’t see anything about this section. I will now be emailing ODOT about this.

they have enough room for all but 2000 ft to do a full build ..

and the most likely is to just have limited shoulders in that 2000 ft ..


either way i look forward to seeing how they respond to you

they have enough room for all but 2000 ft to do a full build ..

and the most likely is to just have limited shoulders in that 2000 ft ..


either way i look forward to seeing how they respond to you
I just called the Oklahoma City residency office and they are going to have the project manager call me back today or tomorrow so I’m going to very interested what he says. I’ll post an update after I hear back.

The preliminary Douglas interchange plans have the widening start at industrial Blvd and there is another project that was approved at the same time that covers from Douglas Interchange to I-240. I think the work zone technically starts at Town Center, but no widening is on the plans for that area.

I just called the Oklahoma City residency office and they are going to have the project manager call me back today or tomorrow so I’m going to very interested what he says. I’ll post an update after I hear back.

thanks for checking this out ...

The preliminary Douglas interchange plans have the widening start at industrial Blvd and there is another project that was approved at the same time that covers from Douglas Interchange to I-240. I think the work zone technically starts at Town Center, but no widening is on the plans for that area.

The "work zone" is different from the "construction zone". A work zone includes areas at each end outside the construction zone to include things like warnings of construction ahead.

Well we will find out soon enough. They already started dozing at the Douglas junction.

Here's my crystal ball to help tell you if they do the 2000 ft section. If they remove the railway bridge and Arnold St bridge right there at the curve near Midwest Blvd, then the widening is happening. If they don't, then that's going to come later. Because I can't envision any way they can squeeze 6 lanes under those two bridges. They would have to have people driving on the actual shoulder with re-stripping where you could reach out and touch the bridge support otherwise. And since neither of those bridges serve any purpose any longer, it also removes the need for I-40 to even be below grade. They're taking out Engle, which i had mixed up with Industrial because i couldn't think of Engle at all since its been closed for decades.

So the question remains on Industrial too. It's similarly built and would probably need to be replaced to make room for 6 lanes. But it's just a traditional dip, not a whole massive thing like at the curve.

Removing that need to go below grade may make the whole thing easier to do too.

I should also point out that they're doing re-paving (again) on this area of 40. It gets beat up pretty hard so it needs it about every 5-7 years anyway. So I dont know that it precludes the possibility of a pending widening, but with the way ODOT works, they rarely put any money in to something if they plan on ripping it up soon. Maybe some grant money was used? I dont know. If I had to guess, I'd say the SPUI and the widening will be on different timelines with widening not even being considered until after the SPUI is done. And again, widening will only happen if they remove those bridges.

The "work zone" is different from the "construction zone". A work zone includes areas at each end outside the construction zone to include things like warnings of construction ahead.

True, I think that's where the confusion is coming from. I'm sure this area is in the pipeline for some kind of widening, but doesn't appear to be occurring at this time.