I-235 / I-44 Interchange

[jn1780]

Now, what is OTA and ODOT going to do to combat the traffic backup at the Kirkpatrick? For years, the I-44 bottleneck slowed the traffic at 235 and Kirkpatrick. Without this slowdown, more traffic will arrive at this interchange causing more congestion.

With 122nd merging N and a majority of the traffic getting on the turnpike and no one knowing how to merge, traffic currently backs up for a mile or two. What can be anticipated after I-44/235 is complete?

Could a possible solution be to modify the 122nd to North 235 by having the merge area North of the Kirkpatrick entry?

How much is from 122nd vs the traffic that piles up on the actual ramp due to the merge from I-235 northbound? The merging needs to take place on Kirkpatrick and not on the ramp.

[OKC Guy]

Now, what is OTA and ODOT going to do to combat the traffic backup at the Kirkpatrick? For years, the I-44 bottleneck slowed the traffic at 235 and Kirkpatrick. Without this slowdown, more traffic will arrive at this interchange causing more congestion.

With 122nd merging N and a majority of the traffic getting on the turnpike and no one knowing how to merge, traffic currently backs up for a mile or two. What can be anticipated after I-44/235 is complete?

Could a possible solution be to modify the 122nd to North 235 by having the merge area North of the Kirkpatrick entry?

I mentioned this exact thing earlier in thread and am glad someone else sees it! The current 44/235 slowdown throttles traffic.

Besides your idea they could have created an overpass (n235 to west turnpike) and have it exit from far left lane of 235n. To do so would have required they merge in the left lane of turnpike west but its not to be. Would have needed thought of prior to going from 2 to 3 lanes expansion.

And then after the long wait just to get from 235n to west turnpike once you get to turnpike you have exiting traffic to get to toll booths. Add in entering drivers don’t realize they have a gas pedal and need to push it to get up to speed before merging onto turnpike.

Related other area to explain. If going 235 south as you approach 36th there is an on ramp and then 3/4 of mile of lane before you have to merge or exit. Yet for some reason those drivers entering from 36th have to try and merge immediately even though they are not up to speed. This creates even more kaos as the 235s cars have to slow down to avoid hitting them. Its stupid and dangerous (drivers). They have almost a full mile to merge! After you get up to speed of traffic use your blinker and you can easily merge without causing a hazard! They need to put a concrete barrier for1/4 mile to keep them from merging so fast, since drivers are so bad to do this on their own.

So the same thing happens from those entering turnpike from 235n. They fail to get to 70 and try and merge going 50.

[OkiePoke]

How much is from 122nd vs the traffic that piles up on the actual ramp due to the merge from I-235 northbound? The merging needs to take place on Kirkpatrick and not on the ramp.

Honestly, probably both. Both merging areas are poorly laid out.

[HOT ROD]

I'm excited for Oklahoma's first 4-stack interchange, it's Long Overdue. Too bad they didn't design a flyover from W-Bound I-44 to S-Bound I-235 Downtown instead of keeping that old cloverleaf; we'd have a 5-stack.

Perhaps there a chance the rebuild of the I-40/I-44 interchange could be done.

[BoulderSooner]

I'm excited for Oklahoma's first 4-stack interchange, it's Long Overdue. Too bad they didn't design a flyover from W-Bound I-44 to S-Bound I-235 Downtown instead of keeping that old cloverleaf; we'd have a 5-stack.

Perhaps there a chance the rebuild of the I-40/I-44 interchange could be done.

keep in mind the old cloverleaf's are going away these will be bigger cloverleafs that don't merge with the mainline southbound 235

[G.Walker]

I'm excited for Oklahoma's first 4-stack interchange, it's Long Overdue. Too bad they didn't design a flyover from W-Bound I-44 to S-Bound I-235 Downtown instead of keeping that old cloverleaf; we'd have a 5-stack.

Perhaps there a chance the rebuild of the I-40/I-44 interchange could be done.

I think this will eventually happen. That interchange is horrible also, but they should of did it when they realigned I-40 years ago.

[baralheia]

keep in mind the old cloverleaf's are going away these will be bigger cloverleafs that don't merge with the mainline southbound 235

If you look at this construction phasing plan document, it doesn't appear that the cloverleafs will get any bigger - but they will be optimizing where the entrance and exit to each one is, to mostly eliminate interference points where traffic has to merge in front of each other. For instance, the southbound I-235 to eastbound I-44 cloverleaf will have it's own protected lane as it merges with I-44 E. The only remaining interference point will be on the southbound I-235 on/off ramp bridge; it won't be in any of the mainline lanes of southbound I-235. This should all help traffic flow much, much more smoothly.

[jn1780]

Here is a general plan centered over the interchange if anyone is interested. They have been working on the northwest quadrant piers for the past few weeks while doing grading work everywhere else. Pier 13 will be constructed directly to the east of the current northbound lanes and will eventually sit between northbound and southbound. They already dug out a pad for the boring machine to work on.

http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/contr...TION%20(1).pdf

[OKC Guy]

Here is a general plan centered over the interchange if anyone is interested. They have been working on the northwest quadrant piers for the past few weeks while doing grading work everywhere else. Pier 13 will be constructed directly to the east of the current northbound lanes and will eventually sit between northbound and southbound. They already dug out a pad for the boring machine to work on.

http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/contr...TION%20(1).pdf

So if correct this means they will build a new n/s overpass first (northbound) and then can shift northbound to the new lanes. And then keep southbound in existing lanes while tearing down/rebuilding the old northbound section and when done that will be the new southbound lanes. And then tear down current southbound lanes last.

So when done everything is shifted to the east (the n/s 235 overpasses).

[OKC Guy]

Way too early question:

Wonder if they will install those deicing/preicing liquid systems on all the flyover ramps? Its a pipe running along walls which releases anti freezing agents.

[jn1780]

So if correct this means they will build a new n/s overpass first (northbound) and then can shift northbound to the new lanes. And then keep southbound in existing lanes while tearing down/rebuilding the old northbound section and when done that will be the new southbound lanes. And then tear down current southbound lanes last.

So when done everything is shifted to the east (the n/s 235 overpasses).

Yes, flyover ramps are probably priority as eastern leafs are in the way of shifting everything east.

I'm guessing the answer to the deicing system would be no.

[rte66man]

Here is a general plan centered over the interchange if anyone is interested. They have been working on the northwest quadrant piers for the past few weeks while doing grading work everywhere else. Pier 13 will be constructed directly to the east of the current northbound lanes and will eventually sit between northbound and southbound. They already dug out a pad for the boring machine to work on.

http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/contr...TION%20(1).pdf

I still wince every time I look at this plan. Even though there are southbound c/d lanes, there will still be stop and go traffic on it due to the weaving created by the 2 remaining cloverleafs.

[HOT ROD]

I suppose they could add in the remaining flyovers at some point.

I'm not too concerned about the I-235N-to-I-44W as much as I am about I-44W-to-I-235S Downtown, that one during the morning rush hour or major event(s) should already be hell and likely will continue to be with that clover remaining. At least this one should be developed to a flyover IMO.

[jn1780]

I suppose they could add in the remaining flyovers at some point.

I'm not too concerned about the I-235N-to-I-44W as much as I am about I-44W-to-I-235S Downtown, that one during the morning rush hour or major event(s) should already be hell and likely will continue to be with that clover remaining. At least this one should be developed to a flyover IMO.

At best they could add a westbound I-44 ramp to southbound I-235 ramp with the amount of space there is to work with. This may need to be part of a Lincoln/I-44 interchange project because the ramp would need to start around here. You can tell with the dirt work happening now that the southbound ramp to westbound is going to be pretty tall.

I-240 interchange project has a better design with placement of flyovers but I guess that wasn't possible with I-44.

[OKC Guy]

Although its still early I’m glad they have kept 50mph through the work zone. Last phase it was 35. It might still drop to 35 as they progress but so far no complaints. They are working hard from what I see. Early finish incentives were the best thing ever for road projects

[OKC Guy]

Be aware


Oklahoma Department of Transportation
@OKDOT
OKC: Major ramp closures on I-44 to I-235 from 7 p.m. tonight to 6 a.m. Thursday for on-going construction. Details here (link: http://ow.ly/7LhY50udIC5) ow.ly/7LhY50udIC5
5:35 PM · May 15, 2019 · Hootsuite Inc.

[Pete]

This is a pretty good overview.

Dotted lines show the future alignments.

[OKC Guy]

So a question. Since they are expanding to 3 lanes and just south of Hefner driving on 235S the lanes got from 3 to 2 (far left lane merges). I would imagine once done they make that 3? It was built for 3 so all they have to do is re-stripe so is that the plan? Its over 2 miles north of 44 but would make sense.

[Snowman]

It looks like OpenStreetMap is a little out of date, the northbound exit to 50th was completed a few months ago,

[HOT ROD]

I hope they will just brand the Broadway Extension as I-235 rather than "ending" it at I-44. Most people probably already refer to it as 235 (as in post above) and I'm sure the BE is built beyond Interstate Standards. ...

[Pete]

From this morning:

[Plutonic Panda]

I hope they will just brand the Broadway Extension as I-235 rather than "ending" it at I-44. Most people probably already refer to it as 235 (as in post above) and I'm sure the BE is built beyond Interstate Standards. ...

I highly doubt they do that. I wish Broadway through Edmond would be converted to a fully controlled access facility at least to 15th or at the bare minimum turned into an expressway. No way that happens though if it did a route extension of I-235 should at least to Kilpatrick.

[David]

Gah, Broadway converted to an expressway up to 15th sounds god-awful. It's so pedestrian unfriendly as is, that would be an terrible change.

[rezman]

I’ve heard a few other folks refer to the intersection of the Kilpatrick and the Broadway Extension as Kilpatrick and I-235, which is incorrect as 235 ends almost 5 miles to the south at I-44. It really doesn’t hurt anything if they think that way, but when someone is receiving directions in that fashion, it can sure screw them up.

[catch22]

I don’t think the feds are expanding the interstate system right now. Once it has a federal designator (I-235) there’s more burden on the Feds for upkeep. I believe somewhere in Arizona has been trying for years to get a I- designator on a highway they built to federal interstate standards and has not been able to convince the feds.