I-235 / I-44 Interchange

[DelCamino]

Pete, could we get some updated aerial pics? Thanks.

[Pete]

[CloudDeckMedia]

I've not followed this thread, so please help me understand the flyovers, and the justification for their cost. I see two: 1) EB I-44 to NB I-235; and 2) NB I-235 to WB I-44. Traffic seeking these two routes are already served by existing, surface-level, 270-degree loops which are compact and cost-effective. Does ODOT justify these extensive (and expensive) flyovers to handle traffic volume that otherwise can't be accommodated by the surface 270s?

[HangryHippo]

I've not followed this thread, so please help me understand the flyovers, and the justification for their cost. I see two: 1) EB I-44 to NB I-235; and 2) NB I-235 to WB I-44. Traffic seeking these two routes are already served by existing, surface-level, 270-degree loops which are compact and cost-effective. Does ODOT justify these extensive (and expensive) flyovers to handle traffic volume that otherwise can't be accommodated by the surface 270s?

Have you never driven in the 49 other states that have already implemented them for major interchanges? They’re light years ahead of cloverleafs.

[Plutonic Panda]

I've not followed this thread, so please help me understand the flyovers, and the justification for their cost. I see two: 1) EB I-44 to NB I-235; and 2) NB I-235 to WB I-44. Traffic seeking these two routes are already served by existing, surface-level, 270-degree loops which are compact and cost-effective. Does ODOT justify these extensive (and expensive) flyovers to handle traffic volume that otherwise can't be accommodated by the surface 270s?

Are you seriously trying to advocate for cloverleafs? LOL! Other states started removing them decades ago.

The justification for cost is they keep traffic moving at 40-60 MPH instead of 20-30 MPH. It is much more efficient, preferred by trucking industry, and makes cloverleaf interchanges obsolete.

[CloudDeckMedia]

OK - thanks. I assumed that a multi-lane, high-speed flyover was more efficient than the surface-grade, single-lane 270, and therefore justifies the cost. Thx.

[jn1780]

Its safety that justifies the cost. A full cover cloverleaf has four points where ramp traffic interacts with other ramp traffic while also interacting with regular interstate traffic. Even this design while not a full stack eliminates 3 of these points. The remaining point on the southbound side is still seeing a significant improvement with two dedicated lanes so at least your only dealing with ramp traffic and not the traffic already going southbound on the interstate.

[Plutonic Panda]

OK - thanks. I assumed that a multi-lane, high-speed flyover was more efficient than the surface-grade, single-lane 270, and therefore justifies the cost. Thx.

Right and every other state in this country believes so too.

[jccouger]

Without comparing the actual expected timeline, it feels like they are moving really fast on this project.

Maybe it is because I'm conditioned to expect these projects to finish years after expected, but I've been pleasantly surprised to see everything moving along.

[Ryan]

No offense man, but either you’ve not yet had the pleasure of traveling on this or you bought a nickel and hit the torch before commenting??? What you would find had you ever tried to merge Or got stuck in that bottleneck is indescribable.only people who have experienced this know. This interchange has been a death trap since the 80’s.

[OKC Guy]

Without comparing the actual expected timeline, it feels like they are moving really fast on this project.

Maybe it is because I'm conditioned to expect these projects to finish years after expected, but I've been pleasantly surprised to see everything moving along.

Agree, very happy so far. I see they moved the northbound lanes over west next ti southbound over weekend (as promised). Now they can work that east section hard. This coming weekend is the hard close to hang flyover sections. Once they open flyovers that will decrease the northbound bottleneck a tad too

[jn1780]

Agree, very happy so far. I see they moved the northbound lanes over west next ti southbound over weekend (as promised). Now they can work that east section hard. This coming weekend is the hard close to hang flyover sections. Once they open flyovers that will decrease the northbound bottleneck a tad too

I noticed going NB that they left one of the old NB lanes opened for 63rd st and WB I44 ramp traffic. Wall was being moved over today.

Still a lot of work in this corner of the project so we may be looking at 6 months at least before NB flyover ramp opens. I see the other one being open a little bit sooner.

[OKC Guy]

I noticed going NB that they left one of the old NB lanes opened for 63rd st and WB I44 ramp traffic. Wall was being moved over today.

Still a lot of work in this corner of the project so we may be looking at 6 months at least before NB flyover ramp opens. I see the other one being open a little bit sooner.

Agree on timing. I assume the current right NB lane (that is exit only for 50th st) will be used for the NB to WB flyover. If so then will help move that traffic to its own lane plus they won’t need to go over 44 to loop around west. Will help a ton.

So on the extra lane you mentioned. Does that mean to exit onto 63rd you have a dedicated lane? If so where is the decision point (to get off on lane that gets you to 63rd lane)? Is it right after 44 overpass and done like a Y?

[jn1780]

I assume so. I actually used this dedicated lane oming from I44 but noticed 63rd off ramp traffic was using it too.

[MagzOK]

I went through this interchange last night around midnight on the way home from the airport. I was coming from EB I44 to NB-77. OMG it was so confusing. First of all it was dark as Hell. To enter the cloverleaf to go EB to NB, it is not marked at all, just one of those yellow and black markers bringing driver attention to a barrier. Going around the cloverleaf there are no pavement markings, no reflectors, and only your headlights shine the ground which is a plethora of different types of pavements and potholes. Once you get to the entrance to NB 77, you merge as usual but then all of a sudden it splits to new pavement and the 63rd Street exit, divided by a median barrier. Hardly ANY markings at all I actually was worried I had somehow crossed over into the SB lanes the wrong direction. It was so incredibly confusing.

[TheTravellers]

I went through this interchange last night around midnight on the way home from the airport. I was coming from EB I44 to NB-77. OMG it was so confusing. First of all it was dark as Hell. To enter the cloverleaf to go EB to NB, it is not marked at all, just one of those yellow and black markers bringing driver attention to a barrier. Going around the cloverleaf there are no pavement markings, no reflectors, and only your headlights shine the ground which is a plethora of different types of pavements and potholes. Once you get to the entrance to NB 77, you merge as usual but then all of a sudden it splits to new pavement and the 63rd Street exit, divided by a median barrier. Hardly ANY markings at all I actually was worried I had somehow crossed over into the SB lanes the wrong direction. It was so incredibly confusing.

Contact your city councilperson and the governor and tell them how crappy this is, if enough people start doing that, maybe OKDOT will start doing the right thing. Oh wait, it's OKDOT, nevermind, hasn't gotten better in 50 years, won't in the next 50...

[OKC Guy]

I went through this interchange last night around midnight on the way home from the airport. I was coming from EB I44 to NB-77. OMG it was so confusing. First of all it was dark as Hell. To enter the cloverleaf to go EB to NB, it is not marked at all, just one of those yellow and black markers bringing driver attention to a barrier. Going around the cloverleaf there are no pavement markings, no reflectors, and only your headlights shine the ground which is a plethora of different types of pavements and potholes. Once you get to the entrance to NB 77, you merge as usual but then all of a sudden it splits to new pavement and the 63rd Street exit, divided by a median barrier. Hardly ANY markings at all I actually was worried I had somehow crossed over into the SB lanes the wrong direction. It was so incredibly confusing.

Try it at night with rain its even funner.

On a good note the changes made northbound (moving lanes closer to west side) are helping reduce backups. It has to do with the 44 overpass. Going north and at the bridge you used to have on/off ramp (44 traffic) merging/exiting and needing to get to one of two northbound lanes. What they did is right after the bridge they made a Y. So merging onto 235N traffic has its own lane all the way thru and past the 63rd bridge. The left part of Y has 2 full lanes but no merging traffic so its not bottlenecked any longer. The left Y 2 lanes dump onto the left 2 lanes after 63rd bridge and the right lane from the 44 merge) is in its own lane that continues past 63rd bridge.

Its hard to explain but they have massively improved this section even during construction. I’m impressed by this minor change making such a huge rush hour diff!

[OkiePoke]

Would be great if some local media would bring to light the this interesection not being illuminated (and other street lights out). I believe there was a story a while back, but for how much David Holt has been saying it's being worked on, there seems to be no progress.

The excuse that this is a construction zone and falls under Odot for maintain the lights is a terrible explanation. Construction zones should have more lighting than normal, not none at all (which seems to be the normal case in OKC).

[Anonymous.]

This interchange hasn't had working lights even before construction began. The cloverleafs of death have been dark for at least half a decade.

[jn1780]

This interchange hasn't had working lights even before construction began. The cloverleafs of death have been dark for at least half a decade.

Makes you wonder how long the lights will work after construction. Regarding temporary construction lighting, I don't see why they couldn't add some solar powered lights around the most dangerous areas.

[baralheia]

Makes you wonder how long the lights will work after construction. Regarding temporary construction lighting, I don't see why they couldn't add some solar powered lights around the most dangerous areas.

I mean, they did exactly that with the last phase of construction around and under the railroad bridge! Shouldn't be that hard to put up a few temporary solar-powered LED streetlights while construction progresses.

[jn1780]

The closure for this weekend has been postponed to the weekend of the 31st due to weather this week.

They have been assembling two sections of steel beams and hanging them over where NB lanes will eventually go. They needed to get all three of these beams hung because they will bolt a third section to these that will hang over the eventual SB side.

[JDSooners]

The closure for this weekend has been postponed to the weekend of the 31st due to weather this week.

They have been assembling two sections of steel beams and hanging them over where NB lanes will eventually go. They needed to get all three of these beams hung because they will bolt a third section to these that will hang over the eventual SB side.

Is the closure still on? they blamed the last one on rain, seems like it's rained as much or more.

What are they expected to do during the closure?

[OKC Guy]

Is the closure still on? they blamed the last one on rain, seems like it's rained as much or more.

What are they expected to do during the closure?

Yes.

Published on Jan 29, 2020
I-235 from 36th to 63rd street will be closed Friday night @ 7pm through Monday, January 3 @ 6am. Terri Angier with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation has more information on the closure and the overall construction project.

Youtube but they could have done this in 3 minutes vice 9 if you ask me

https://youtu.be/n16IkyaFFcQ

[jn1780]

Yes.

Published on Jan 29, 2020
I-235 from 36th to 63rd street will be closed Friday night @ 7pm through Monday, January 3 @ 6am. Terri Angier with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation has more information on the closure and the overall construction project.

Youtube but they could have done this in 3 minutes vice 9 if you ask me

https://youtu.be/n16IkyaFFcQ

I dare you to take a drink every time they say 'routine".