OKC Boulevard

[stile99]

I think the better question here is if the City knew that Uhaul was going to fight them tooth and nail, why didn't they stick with the original intersection at Compress instead of having ODOT build it at Oklahoma when they knew it would be way more expensive and time-consuming?

This is a VERY good question, and one I've been wondering myself.

I'm not qualified to decide if the $5 million number is fair and accurate, but one must admit Uhaul makes some excellent points. Once you start factoring in having to build to current codes, the cost does indeed start rising. All because the city made a bad decision, knowing it was a bad decision at the time. Claiming Uhaul is making out like a bandit is a bit of a stretch...it really doesn't matter if their property has been made 'more valuable' if they have no intention of selling. All it really does is increase their taxes.

[rezman]

Either the City didn't consider it, or they thought U-Haul would just roll over for them. I say cudos to U-Haul for standing their ground.

[OKCRT]

U-Haul just doesn't seem to fit in that area. The city needs to take control and pay them what it's worth and ask them to move out of downtown/bricktown IMO.

[Scott5114]

Are we certain that the change came from the city and not from ODOT? It could be that the city knew this would happen, favored the Compress intersection...and ODOT built the intersection at Oklahoma anyway. I suspect that there may be some engineering criteria that said that was better to build at Oklahoma rather than Compress, possibly the closer distance to EKG or potential line-of-sight issues involving the bridge. ODOT did build the boulevard for a higher design speed than a typical city street, and with that comes restrictions on how close intersections can be to one another.

[Pete]

Are we certain that the change came from the city and not from ODOT? It could be that the city knew this would happen, favored the Compress intersection...and ODOT built the intersection at Oklahoma anyway. I suspect that there may be some engineering criteria that said that was better to build at Oklahoma rather than Compress, possibly the closer distance to EKG or potential line-of-sight issues involving the bridge. ODOT did build the boulevard for a higher design speed than a typical city street, and with that comes restrictions on how close intersections can be to one another.

Yes, we do know this was the choice by the City... All ODOT did was build the intersection where they specified and were to connect it to Oklahoma but the City didn't do its part in procuring the right of way, so now the City will ultimately have to pay twice; once for the temporary work around and again for finishing the connection if and when this mess gets resolved with UHaul.

I need to talk to Uhaul and determine when the City first approached them because this should have been resolved long before that intersection was ever constructed.

[jn1780]

Could be worse, could haven been a bridge to nowhere. Its just an intersection leading to a confusing UHAUL fork in the road.

[KTKersten]

Contracts awarded to complete Oklahoma City Boulevard and SH-74 corridors in OKC

https://www.ok.gov/triton/modules/ne...ticle_id=38467

[KayneMo]

Rendering of the Boulevard from the above press release:

[Pete]

Press Releases
Monday, December 4, 2017

Contracts awarded to complete two major Oklahoma City corridors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2017
PR# 17-038

Final work to complete two long-awaited improvements on the Oklahoma City Boulevard in the city’s downtown area and the SH-74 corridor in northwest Oklahoma City will begin in spring 2018 thanks to action by the Oklahoma Transportation Commission at its Dec. 4 meeting.

“The department is excited to meet these milestones and make good on our promise to complete the corridors for two areas that are seeing significant growth and change. Completion of corridors is of paramount importance to our mission,” said Oklahoma Department of Transportation Executive Director Mike Patterson. “These improvements will increase safety and access to both areas. The SH-74 corridor expansion highlights the department’s commitment to improving pavement conditions in rural areas that are transitioning to more urban-like conditions.”

Commissioners voted to award a contract to Allen Contracting Inc. and Shell Construction Inc. of Oklahoma City for an up to $27 million project to construct the two remaining core sections of the Oklahoma City Blvd. in downtown Oklahoma City. These interior sections between Western Ave. and Shields Blvd./E.K. Gaylord Blvd., including a bridge over Western Ave., will be built within the footprint of the old I-40 Crosstown bridge and will reconnect the downtown area with the relocated interstate via the already-completed west and east end connections. Work is expected to take about one and one-half years to finish, and the contract includes financial incentives for early completion. During construction, drivers can expect traffic impacts at the city streets intersecting the new boulevard, with ODOT and the City of Oklahoma City coordinating closely to minimize inconvenience to downtown drivers.

Following the 2012 opening of the new at-grade I-40 Crosstown south of downtown, the old Crosstown bridge was deconstructed to make way for the new boulevard to be built by ODOT as part of the Crosstown project. After completion, it will be used by the City of Oklahoma City as a new city street reconnecting downtown with the new interstate alignment. The west end connection between I-40 and Klein Ave. was completed in 2013 and the east end connection to I-40, I-235 and I-35 was completed in 2016. Construction of the first middle section of the new boulevard between the east end connection and Shields Blvd./E.K. Gaylord Blvd., including the BNSF railroad bridge over the roadway, also was completed in 2016. Including this final phase, the overall cost estimate for the new I-40 Crosstown, the Oklahoma City Boulevard and its connections totals about $720 million.

Once completed, the four-lane boulevard will become a city street operated and maintained by the City of Oklahoma City, which acquired all necessary right-of-way and relocated utilities prior to construction. This project also includes necessary repairs to highway lighting along the entire I-40 Crosstown corridor, which was damaged and rendered inoperable by vandalism and wire theft.

The commission also awarded a contract to T.J. Campbell Construction Company of Oklahoma City for an up to $22 million project for the final phase of reconstruction and widening of SH-74 (Portland Ave.) from two to four lanes in northwest Oklahoma City. This phase will widen the roadway to a four-lane divided highway from just north of N.W. 164th St. to N.W. 206th St. (Covell Rd.), completing the expansion of the corridor between Memorial Rd. and Waterloo Rd. This final phase of SH-74 expansion will help support future traffic in this rapidly-growing and developing part of the metro area. On average, more than 21,000 vehicles travel SH-74 in this area each day, far exceeding the capacity of the existing two-lane highway. As part of this project, all affected intersections will be reconstructed with turn lanes and traffic signals.

The highway will remain open during construction as this new 3-mile segment will be built on a new alignment just east of the existing roadway, however ODOT strongly urges motorists to find alternate routes, such as I-35, to help alleviate congestion. The contract includes financial incentives for early completion of the work, which is expected to take more than one year.

State Highway 74 was first widened to four lanes with a center turn lane between 206th St. (Covell Rd.) and Waterloo Rd. beginning in the mid-2000s to address major bridge deficiencies. An interim traffic improvement project to add dedicated turn lanes at N.W. 150th St., N.W. 164th St and N.W. 178th St. was completed in 2013. In 2016, ODOT completed widening of SH-74 from Memorial Rd. to north of N.W. 164th St., including construction of a brand-new interchange with a bridge and ramps at N.W. 150th St. and new service roads between Memorial Rd. and N.W. 164th St. Including this final phase, the total estimated cost to expand the SH-74 corridor in this area is nearly $136 million.

[Pete]

This entire area is going to change more rapidly than any previous urban area in OKC.

In just a few years, the upper park, convention hotel, convention center, parking garage and boulevard will all be complete and you can bet there will be some private development by that time as well.

And if the Producers Coop starts development, you will have a massive amount of improvements in that immediate area.

Will be really fun to watch this happen on a large scale.

[Pete]

You would think that rendering indicates the final plans...

Some interesting things:

1. Streetcar is in protected lane on the north side of this stretch
2. There is no mid-block crossing between Hudson and Robinson, although there is one at Harvey across Reno just to the north and a bump-out shown on the south side of the boulevard at that point. Perhaps the plan is to add it once the REHCO property to the north is developed
3. There is no landscaping in the median.
4. No bike lanes whasoever

[LocoAko]

You would think that rendering indicates the final plans...

Some interesting things:

1. Streetcar is in protected lane on the north side of this stretch
2. There is no mid-block crossing between Hudson and Robinson, although there is one at Harvey across Reno just to the north and a bump-out shown on the south side of the boulevard at that point. Perhaps the plan is to add it once the REHCO property to the north is developed
3. There is no landscaping in the median.
4. No bike lanes whasoever

The lack of bike lanes jumped out to me immediately. Weren't those assured? How is this not just going to be another pedestrian-unfriendly 5-lane monstrosity like so many other roads? The lack of landscaped medians is similarly disappointing.

[HangryHippo]

The lack of bike lanes jumped out to me immediately. Weren't those assured? How is this not just going to be another pedestrian-unfriendly 5-lane monstrosity like so many other roads? The lack of landscaped medians is similarly disappointing.

Are you surprised? This boulevard has been a cluster from the beginning.

[Anonymous.]

I think the streetcar in its own lane is correct per the actual location of where they located that section of rail since it is already installed. Unless I am just not picturing it correctly:

[Pete]

I'm sure that is an accurate rendering because it's dated December 2017 and I had not seen that one previously.

[bchris02]

This entire area is going to change more rapidly than any previous urban area in OKC.

In just a few years, the upper park, convention hotel, convention center, parking garage and boulevard will all be complete and you can bet there will be some private development by that time as well.

And if the Producers Coop starts development, you will have a massive amount of improvements in that immediate area.

Will be really fun to watch this happen on a large scale.

I agree. Comparing what is currently there to the rendering somewhat reminds me of the comparison of the old Bricktown photos from pre-MAPS to today's Bricktown. While there is plenty to criticize about the boulevard, it along with the convention center and hotel are going to transform what is currently an eyesore into something pretty special.

[Pete]

However... It does not accurately depict how the streetcar tracks split at the boulevard and Hudson to head down Hudson to the maintenance facility.

You can see that split in the lower center of this photo:

[Ross MacLochness]

Also not the correct convention center hotel in the rendering...

Anyway, if this rendering reflects the plans, so much for any hint of this being a "world class" boulevard.. didn't earlier renderings contain bike lanes and a landscaped median, at least in this section??

Regardless, I'm excited for the area to transform, it's just so dang disappointing such a choad of a road is cutting right through the middle of it.

[OKCisOK4me]

Thanks for that pic, Pete. That's a nice wye. I drive downtown every few weeks just to view the tracks cause they don't really post any progress pictures like I think they would (like with their continuous construction updates (on the OKC Streetcar Twitter account).

[Pete]

Here's another interesting thing about that rendering... That is the Marriott's proposed convention hotel -- exactly as they submitted.

But of course, Omni was the winning proposal and their rendering was completely different from that.

[Canoe]

Here's another interesting thing about that rendering... That is the Marriott's proposed convention hotel -- exactly as they submitted.

But of course, Omni was the winning proposal and their rendering was completely different from that.

Pete,. I am having trouble picturing how hard/easy it will be to get from the myraid gardens to the upper park. Can you help me out?

[Anonymous.]

Pete,. I am having trouble picturing how hard/easy it will be to get from the myraid gardens to the upper park. Can you help me out?

What do you mean? You will walk the sidewalks on either Hudson for the northwest entrance, Harvey (if it will still exist) for the northern center entrance, or Robinson for the northeast entrance.

[Pete]

With several projects and under planning discussions there has been a bunch of references to the "Harvey Spine", which was mentioned when creating the Devon atrium and walkway to and through the Myriad Gardens.

Harvey is currently open between Reno and the proposed boulevard but of course REHCO owns all those blocks and will eventually develop it all.

Even when the convention center plans were drawn for the REHCO site, they went to great effort to preserve the Harvey Spine, even though it was just for pedestrians.

So, my guess is that any future REHCO development will also somewhat preserve the Harvey Spine which would allow people to pass all the way through the Devon atrium, through the Myriad Gardens and the REHCO development and then down through Scissortail Park, over the Skydance Bridge and all the way to the river.

[warreng88]

Contract signed for final leg of Oklahoma City Boulevard

By: Catherine Sweeney The Journal Record December 4, 2017

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma transportation officials signed a $27 million contract for the last leg of the Oklahoma City Boulevard project, which is intended to improve downtown’s access to the interstates and alleviate traffic in the area.

The project, which began its first round of construction in March 2015, includes a new city street in Interstate 40’s old footprint that will connect E.K. Gaylord Boulevard-Shields Boulevard to new ramps at I-40, Interstate 235 and Interstate 35. The contract, which the Oklahoma Transportation Commission signed on Monday, is the last installment in a series. It went to Allen Contracting Inc. and Shell Construction Inc. of Oklahoma City. It authorizes construction on the center portion of the project, which connects Klein Avenue to Shields/E.K. Gaylord Boulevard.

“The boulevard and us finishing this last project is a culmination of what started in the ’90s,” said Brenda Perry, a spokeswoman for the department.

The Department of Transportation rerouted I-40, moving it away from the area to where it sits today. That route opened to traffic in 2012. She said officials agreed to mitigate that move and its affect on transportation within the city by planning this project, which will mainly run along the old highway’s route.

Once the multi-year project is complete, the new city-operated street will run from east to west spanning four lanes. The project’s renderings show pedestrian traffic and, yards away from the street, a city streetcar route. That portion of the project is still in planning stages.

State Rep. Forrest Bennett, D-Oklahoma City, represents the area. He said that some of his constituents had pushed for the project to implement more walkability features and feel less like another version of the Northwest Expressway, but critics said those adjustments would slow traffic. Bennett said officials found a good
compromise.

“I understand ODOT’s goal is to get people from A to B as quickly as possible,” he said. “It will be good in that people who are maybe coming through Oklahoma City will choose to take the Boulevard and see Oklahoma City before heading off to the west or the east.”

[Rover]

State Rep. Forrest Bennett, D-Oklahoma City, represents the area. He said that some of his constituents had pushed for the project to implement more walkability features and feel less like another version of the Northwest Expressway, but critics said those adjustments would slow traffic. Bennett said officials found a good compromise.

“I understand ODOT’s goal is to get people from A to B as quickly as possible,” he said. “It will be good in that people who are maybe coming through Oklahoma City will choose to take the Boulevard and see Oklahoma City before heading off to the west or the east.”

This kind of thinking is why our legislature is so unprepared to lead OK into modern times. Just lazy thinking and no leadership. Let’s get him voted out. He doesn’t get it.