I-235 / I-44 Interchange

[artynok]

Thanks for the info.

At this point, they really need to put the hammer down and finish.

There is still tons of work to do on the actual intersection itself and it would be nice if this could all be completed during my lifetime.

Pete, are you saying that you don't expect to live to be 150 years old?!

[pw405]

Pete, are you saying that you don't expect to live to be 150 years old?!

And you guys thought I was joking when I said this!!!:

Hey who knows, maybe by the time this project is finished Elon's Boring Company will have their machines up and running (for cheap!) and let us tunnel from the OKC Underground to the Edmond/Norman/MWC/Yukon and BNSF won't be a factor.

Hahha... I know, wishful thinking.

...By the time this is ACTUALLY finished, we'll have flying cars and highways will be obsolete and flying car users will laugh at the irony of calling automobile bridges "fly-overs". That seems more likely.

[ShadowStrings]

Does it bother anyone else that the panels in the wall on the west side aren't all the same color? Some are gray and some are tan. Will these even out over time?

[HangryHippo]

Does it bother anyone else that the panels in the wall on the west side aren't all the same color? Some are gray and some are tan. Will these even out over time?

I don't think they've finished painting them all yet...

[rte66man]

Does it bother anyone else that the panels in the wall on the west side aren't all the same color? Some are gray and some are tan. Will these even out over time?

They are not finished painting them. They had to take some of the panels out because they weren't the right pattern. They all will be painted to match the wall on the west side to the south of the construction area.

Of course this makes me want to know who's going to repaint them when they look dingy and are flaking (like the aforementioned section).

[Insider]

Any updates or new images?

[catch22]

Any updates or new images?

The 50th street on ramp is open and they are currently paving the permanent northbound lanes.

[jn1780]

This particular segment is getting close to completion. I would say next month it will be back to three or more lanes.

[OkiePoke]

Are they not going expanding the bridge to 3 lanes?

[Of Sound Mind]

Are they not going expanding the bridge to 3 lanes?

That's a different phase of this multi-year/decade project.

[Plutonic Panda]

Are they not going expanding the bridge to 3 lanes?

Yes they are. It should be starting within the next year or two. I suspect they will combine the remaining phases into one, but I’m not sure on that. That will also reconstruct the Lincoln BLVD interchange and add direct access ramps from Lincoln to I-235 North to Edmond. Should be handy for some.

[flyfisher07]

Yes they are. It should be starting within the next year or two. I suspect they will combine the remaining phases into one, but I’m not sure on that. That will also reconstruct the Lincoln BLVD interchange and add direct access ramps from Lincoln to I-235 North to Edmond. Should be handy for some.

Last i saw the next two phases (flyovers and mainline) were tentatively scheduled for the November letting next month!! Hopefully that holds true.

[Plutonic Panda]

Last i saw the next two phases (flyovers and mainline) were tentatively scheduled for the November letting next month!! Hopefully that holds true.

Hopefully so! That would be nice. OkDOT has seen a decent rise in their budget, so that could fast track some projects. I’m specifically hoping the Waterloo interchange project gets bumped up.

[Pete]

[rezman]

Those Corten RR truss spans are developing a nice rich color since being installed.

[dcsooner]

really like the aesthetics of the access ramp

[hipsterdoofus]

At some point I'd love to see more of exit area north of 50th since that is the active area at this point!

[bchris02]

It's absurd how long it has taken ODOT to complete this. Also, I would say about a third of the time traffic is completely stopped up or is moving at a crawl through there because of an accident. Will be glad to see it done.

[OKC Guy]

It's absurd how long it has taken ODOT to complete this. Also, I would say about a third of the time traffic is completely stopped up or is moving at a crawl through there because of an accident. Will be glad to see it done.

I may be wrong but I think the speed is dependent on money. Once the money comes in they bid the project. We have to wait for Fed money which the project is not funded all at once like larger states. Being a small state we have to piggyback on major funding bills at Fed level where the big states dictate things. In Dallas they get funded up front and can go 24/7/365. We can’t bid out what we don’t have the Fed money for. Unless we want to bypass Feds and pay for all ourself which will never happen.

Thats why all the Fed roads take forever here its about getting the Fed money. And then OK has to divy it up around the state too. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong.

Another point about this project and traffic. If one thinks about it this interchange is a throttle right now. Be careful your wishes. What is gonna happen once this is done is in morning the Edmond/north traffic is gonna get to downtown faster. Well, thats a ton more traffic needing to get off at limited exits and those off ramps/side roads can’t handle that extra volume. So instead of sitting at the 44/235 area you will sit at the 23rd street overpass area stopped. And likewise, in the afternoon rush a ton of traffic wants to go turnpike west but need to merge right to get to the 1 lane overpass. So all that traffic which sped up from downtown is not gonna have the 44/235 throttle and thus will back up a few miles or more from the turnpike onramp. So you might slow down/stop south of Hefner going north on 235. Eliminate the current throttle and it only moves the jam somewhere else.

When they expanded the turnpike a few or so years ago they should have put a left exit or made it 2 lanes. They never thought ahead to how traffic will move faster to another choke point.

Look at turnpike eastbound at Western off ramp (in afternoon) for an example of what will happen at both ends of 235. Its backed up practically onto the turnpike. And Chisolm Creek has a ton more growing to do plus Costo and other new builds. The off roads can’t handle the traffic now, at least during rush hour.

[hipsterdoofus]

Be careful your wishes. What is gonna happen once this is done is in morning the Edmond/north traffic is gonna get to downtown faster. Well, thats a ton more traffic needing to get off at limited exits and those off ramps/side roads can’t handle that extra volume.

Yea I already feel that the East side of downtown access to the highway isn't all that great if you are coming from the West side. Everyone gets funneled into two points, then once you get on, you immediately hit a backup at 23rd and if you don't high that one, go 1/4 mile and you hit the next one. More often than not, I stick in the neighborhood streets until I get to 36th.

[rte66man]

I like the fact that the 50th Street overpass has a span just to the west of the BNSF tracks to allow for double tracking. It won't be cheap to add a new bridge over 235, the Deep Fork, and 44, but at least they didn't preclude that from happening.

[Plutonic Panda]

Weird they didn’t include bike lanes in the 50st overpass. But it is nice they allowed for double tracking. I noticed that as well.

[LakeEffect]

It's absurd how long it has taken ODOT to complete this. Also, I would say about a third of the time traffic is completely stopped up or is moving at a crawl through there because of an accident. Will be glad to see it done.

By this, do you mean this phase? I think they're actually ahead of schedule on this phase. The only way to go faster would be to close a full lane of traffic, which would make the backups far worse.

[flyfisher07]

Good news, the plans are up for bidding for the next two phases of this project in November! Not so good news (I think anyway), just checked the striping plans and NB 235 mainline will narrow from 3 to 2 lanes just north of the interchange to allow for a double lane on-ramp (I44 EB flyover and WB to I235NB). http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/contr...PING%20(7).pdf

[Plutonic Panda]

Not so good news (I think anyway), just checked the striping plans and NB 235 mainline will narrow from 3 to 2 lanes just north of the interchange to allow for a double lane on-ramp (I44 EB flyover and WB to I235NB).

Surely that won't be permanent, right?