I-235 / I-44 Interchange

[Plutonic Panda]

Denver and Chicago somehow manage it and many are planned in SLC. I’m sure it just takes proper planning.

[catch22]

We don't really get ice events in Colorado, usually just snow. Before any winter weather the highways, and especially overpasses, are pre-treated with an anti-icing solution. This is to lower the freeze point of the roadway, so anything that does fall will not stick to the surface. And then once the storm starts, they begin spraying a de-icing solution to melt the snow.

Read more here: https://www.codot.gov/travel/winter-.../products.html

[HOT ROD]

I can imagine it's very difficult for OKC to stay ahead of ice storms, snow is much easier.

Does any other major city get the frequency, consistency, and strength of ice storms that OKC does annually?

[Celebrator]

I can imagine it's very difficult for OKC to stay ahead of ice storms, snow is much easier.

Does any other major city get the frequency, consistency, and strength of ice storms that OKC does annually?

We don't get them annually, thank goodness. I have lived here for 11.5 years and have experienced 2 significant ones: 2020 and 2015.

[TheTravellers]

We don't get them annually, thank goodness. I have lived here for 11.5 years and have experienced 2 significant ones: 2020 and 2015.

Probably both classified as "once-in-a-lifetime/generation/100 years"...

[Pete]

You can see they have shifted the WB I-44 to NB I-235 off-ramp.

The next big move has to be completing the new off-ramps to 63rd.

[David]

Because of the weather I have only ended up using it once so far, but the new EB to NB flyover is an incredible disappointment. Two lanes leave 44, they get merged down to one, and then seconds later split back up and go their separate ways to the north and south.

I don't understand why they couldn't have built it as two lanes that stay unmerged so that people can plan ahead and be in the correct one up front.

[Plutonic Panda]

I’m pretty sure that’s just an interim lane setup. The ultimate plan seems to be two lanes on that flyover.

[David]

I hope you are right, but it sure felt like it was in a final state that one time I drove over it.

[warreng88]

Drove through Birmingham this weekend and the newly reworked 20/59 interchange. I have never seen this before, but they added changing lights to the highway and I thought would be awesome to have on this interchange, but I am sure a lot of people would see it as a waste of money.

https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2...irmingham.html

[HFAA Alum]

To me, that seems really sleek and sexy. But the only reason why it won't work in OKC is because there is no real interchange that could be used like that in downtown. All the major interchanges are so far away from the city core that it would look too disconnected. The only way something like this would work is if the innovation district gets built and expands into a second core, then the 10th street bridge could get lit up like this.

You can't do Robinson like that either because it's too close to the Skydance Bridge. The whole bridge on Robinson would have to get done the same way like the Skydance Bridge to make sense, but that's an actual waste of money.

[Buffalo Bill]

Drove through Birmingham this weekend and the newly reworked 20/59 interchange. I have never seen this before, but they added changing lights to the highway and I thought would be awesome to have on this interchange, but I am sure a lot of people would see it as a waste of money.

https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2...irmingham.html

This lighting isn’t to light up the highway; it is to light up the area under this viaduct. Think of it as being similar to the old crosstown bridge. It will be part of a larger project to connect areas under the bridges with programmed spaces.

https://citywalkbham.com/

[Pete]

[rte66man]

Every time I see you great photos, I feel sad that the Kirkpatrick Bank building wasn't purchased and razed so this interchange wouldn't end up as such a compromise. The non-removal is the reason the SB to EB loop ramp remains.

[MagzOK]

Every time I see you great photos, I feel sad that the Kirkpatrick Bank building wasn't purchased and razed so this interchange wouldn't end up as such a compromise. The non-removal is the reason the SB to EB loop ramp remains.

They could have done it right literally right next to the building. You should check out "High Five", the I635/US75 (Central Expressway/LBJ Freeway) intersection in Dallas. or really any of the other large mix-masters.

[Plutonic Panda]

Yeah this is simply the state being cheap.

[jn1780]

Their making quick work on the NB side. Should be starting SB bridge demolition here a few weeks. Or the old I-235 bridge I should say.

[Pete]

I'm having a hard time understanding how they are going to rework the southbound bridge.

I get they will soon shift all traffic to what will be the northbound lanes as shown below.

But how are they going to handle the two existing cloverleafs in the interim if they demolish and rebuild the southbound bridge (circled)?

[BoulderSooner]

I'm having a hard time understanding how they are going to rework the southbound bridge.

I get they will soon shift all traffic to what will be the northbound lanes as shown below.

But how are they going to handle the two existing cloverleafs in the interim if they demolish and rebuild the southbound bridge (circled)?

so my guess is that they will demo all but the far east 2 lanes of that bridge . and use those 2 lanes as the clover leaf ramps ....

then they will build the new on/off ramp bridge that will be the furthest bridge west ..

then when that is finished they will move the on off ramp traffic to that and demo the rest of the old bridge and then build the new one ..

[Laramie]

Yeah this is simply the state being cheap.

Right on, PluPlan...

They call it conservative spending in Oklahoma, an inexpensive way of building and doing business

[HangryHippo]

Yeah this is simply the state being cheap.

Correct.

[jn1780]

so my guess is that they will demo all but the far east 2 lanes of that bridge . and use those 2 lanes as the clover leaf ramps ....

then they will build the new on/off ramp bridge that will be the furthest bridge west ..

then when that is finished they will move the on off ramp traffic to that and demo the rest of the old bridge and then build the new one ..

I think that was the original staging suggestion plans, but they haven't really followed those. It wouldn't surprise me if they just demolished the old barrier wall, setup some temp pavement and just have ramp traffic take a wider turn. That would be the easier/faster solution.

[I235+I44]

I'm having a hard time understanding how they are going to rework the southbound bridge.

I get they will soon shift all traffic to what will be the northbound lanes as shown below.

But how are they going to handle the two existing cloverleaves in the interim if they demolish and rebuild the southbound bridge (circled)?

I think they would try this way:

[rte66man]

Had the opportunity to take the SB to WB ramp today and it is in TERRIBLE shape. I know it was part of the first state but it hasn't been that long ago and the pavement is losing its integrity at the western end. Numerous large parallel cracks. The State needs to make the contractor tear it out and do it right.

[Snowman]

Had the opportunity to take the SB to WB ramp today and it is in TERRIBLE shape. I know it was part of the first state but it hasn't been that long ago and the pavement is losing its integrity at the western end. Numerous large parallel cracks. The State needs to make the contractor tear it out and do it right.

The whole area was over due for maintenance long before projects on it started and it seems like the amount of construction trucks on this project had really accelerated it's deterioration, plus the replacement is something between a quarter to a third built, people frequently remaining stopped at the yield sign at the end of the clover loop in prior years even kind of made the cracks there years ago somewhat less noticeable by dragging down how fast people drove over them.