Kilpatrick turnpike question

[DarqueMan]

When traveling south from Edmond on Broadway, how does one get on the Kilpatrick turnpike and travel east? I had to get off at 122nd and turn around. Surely there is a better way?

[rezman]

You got it. There is no other way to get to EB Kilpatrick from SB Broadway Ext. It’s been that way since that interchange was built. One of many examples of the brain trust at OTA/ODOT around town.

[HangryHippo]

You got it. There is no other way to get to EB Kilpatrick from SB Broadway Ext. It’s been that way since that interchange was built. One of many examples of the brain trust at OTA/ODOT around town.

This. I understand ODOT has serious funding issues, but I do not understand how OTA, with the collection of tolls, cannot build proper interchanges with flyover ramps at least at the major intersections.

[DowntownMan]

There was recently talks of adding additional flyover ramps at Portland and kilpatrick but that seems to have been put aside.

[DarqueMan]

You got it. There is no other way to get to EB Kilpatrick from SB Broadway Ext. It’s been that way since that interchange was built. One of many examples of the brain trust at OTA/ODOT around town.

Okay, thanks guys. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy. I would have expected a major intersection to allow east bound travel.

[Buffalo Bill]

When traveling south from Edmond on Broadway, how does one get on the Kilpatrick turnpike and travel east? I had to get off at 122nd and turn around. Surely there is a better way?

Where are you coming from in Edmond? Origination point?

[DarqueMan]

Where are you coming from in Edmond? Origination point?

I was at 33rd and Broadway when I wanted to get to I-35 without going through town. Or, that was the plan any way.

[rezman]

You can go east over to Eastern Ave for full access to the Kilpatrick, but I totally get that you shouldn’t have to. I mean, when they built it, why did they put a full interchange at Eastern, and only a partial interchange at a major state highway artery a mile to the west? And it’s STILL like that today. ... (head shaker).

[catch22]

Crazy that you have to make a 630 degree right turn to go what should be 90 degrees left, or a maximum of 270 right.

[DarqueMan]

Now that I think of it, when the turnpike was built Memorial and Kelly wasn't redone to make sense like it is today. There was a short on ramp from memorial to get on broadway but they have fixed that.

[SEMIweather]

This. I understand ODOT has serious funding issues, but I do not understand how OTA, with the collection of tolls, cannot build proper interchanges with flyover ramps at least at the major intersections.

Still shaking my head at the fact that the I-40/Kilpatrick Extension interchange is going to be a cloverleaf.

[jompster]

Still shaking my head at the fact that the I-40/Kilpatrick Extension interchange is going to be a cloverleaf.

Same. They wouldn't bother me as much if people actually knew how to use them the right way. I can see them working well in the 1950s, but they're a huge hassle with higher traffic counts today. Does Oklahoma just do this because they're cheaper?

Ditto. US-77 is a somewhat major highway, and IS in terms of OKC's grid layout. It's baffling that this interchange wasn't better planned.

[TheTravellers]

Same. They wouldn't bother me as much if people actually knew how to use them the right way. I can see them working well in the 1950s, but they're a huge hassle with higher traffic counts today. Does Oklahoma just do this because they're cheaper?...

The only valid reasons I can think of for building those (cloverleafs) is cost (doing things as cheap as possible happens all the time here) or the engineers are completely stupid (the bumpy bridges support this view) and/or out-of-touch (many other decisions they make support this view). Please enlighten me if there are any other reasons...

[catch22]

It’s definitely a factor of cost. Flyover interchanges are an order of magnitude more expensive to build and maintain than a cloverleaf.

[jonny d]

In a state as poor as OK, it is hard to justify extra costs anywhere. Just a matter of economics.

[HangryHippo]

It’s definitely a factor of cost. Flyover interchanges are an order of magnitude more expensive to build and maintain than a cloverleaf.

Undoubtedly, so I can understand ODOT not building more of them. But OTA has toll revenue. Why can't (won't?) they do it?

[emtefury]

In a state as poor as OK, it is hard to justify extra costs anywhere. Just a matter of economics.

I disagree that our state is poor. We don’t go until large amounts of debt to make it look like we are rich. When comparing states, Oklahoma is low on how much debt is held.

[stile99]

That's not how poor is defined. Poor is having no money. Debt is having debt. Rich people can have literal mountains of debt, you even referred to this phenomenon. Oklahoma is poor.

[rte66man]

Undoubtedly, so I can understand ODOT not building more of them. But OTA has toll revenue. Why can't (won't?) they do it?

Traffic counts are a reason too. I do not have the numbers, but the c/d lanes plus a standard cloverleaf may be all that is justified given cost and traffic.

[rte66man]

Undoubtedly, so I can understand ODOT not building more of them. But OTA has toll revenue. Why can't (won't?) they do it?

Traffic counts are a reason too. I do not have the numbers, but the c/d lanes plus a standard cloverleaf may be all that is justified given cost and traffic.

[KL_Moore]

Another factor with turnpike exits and entrances, unlike free highways, is they need to be designed so that no matter where you got off or on you'd end up going through a tollbooth at some point. This isn't an excuse here though.

Re: The cost of cloverleaf vs. flyover - in many cases the latter's expenses would be reduced if designed so that left exits/entrances could be used when practical (i.e. fewer bridges), but those have become somewhat taboo.

[BobbyV]

Almost as nice as the south-bound on ramp for Broadway Extension being on the the north side of Memorial . . .

[WitWhy]

cloverleaf > left lane flyover
the only reason for a left lane exit should be for HOV lanes

[mugofbeer]

When I was in town, I drove that section of the Kilpatrick north of I-40 after reading comments on here. That elevated section near Lake Overholser is a total joke. I don't know who would have enough pull to do anything about it (TV News reporting?), but there should be action taken to ensure that type of awful road work never happens again.

[HOT ROD]

I also don't think OK is poor, but OK sure doesn't have as much amenities as a state compared to others. The general appearance is that of a poor-er state.