Odot

[Snowman]

... PS, do you know when the next phase of the crossroads junction is scheduled to let? ...

I don't

[Plutonic Panda]

A poster by the name of triplemultiplex posted this design of a reimagined I-240/I-44 interchange with the airport getting a direct freeway connection which I would love. Cold stone in bell chance this ever happens but it would be amazing if it did.



Link to thread: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index....966#msg2275966

[catch22]

Not sure what purpose that would really serve. Meridian is already very efficient to get to Airport Rd

[Plutonic Panda]

It’s a surface road with traffic lights. Meridian would take longer than this road being a direct connection like most major airports have. Eventually more development will also come to this stretch of road making it slower.

[catch22]

It has grade separation over 54th. There’s a traffic light at Amelia Earhart, and one for the rental car center. Hardly an inconvenience. So far the airport has shown zero interest in developing Meridian Ave to Airport Rd. This would be a several hundred million dollar waste of money. There are more pressing needs.

[Plutonic Panda]

Eh, I see where you’re coming from. I agree that there are better uses other than building a freeway directly to the terminal. I just think one day it could be needed if OKC really takes off. But the other components to it like redesigning the interchanges nearby on I-44 really need it. This proposal eats into the current Lariat Landing a bit but to my knowledge nothing is built there. On the other side could be development or a park where current I-44 ROW sits. But something needs to be done before this area starts really experiencing chronic congestion.

I know ODOT has some plans for more lanes here and there. I don’t remember the full extent of it but that loop ramp needs to go at I-240 and left exits should be removed from the I-44 mainline.

[KayneMo]

^^That's really cool. Even without the spur to the terminal (which I like), the redesigned I-240/I-44/SW 74th junction would be a huge improvement.

I would like to see a freeway connecting I-44 and I-35, between Moore and Norman. Something roughly along the lines of this:

[Plutonic Panda]

^^^^ yes that freeway is much needed. I’d even settle for an expressway type setup. There are quite a few sections in OKC that could benefit from a brand new freeway. If only we had TxDOT to build our system lol.

[shawnw]

Looks cool and all but I'd rather spend the money on a train to the airport from Santa Fe Station.

[5alive]

Keep in mind that at some point in the future the Kickapoo Turnpike will be extended on down to connect to 35 somewhere around Norman to Purcell

[Snowman]

^^That's really cool. Even without the spur to the terminal (which I like), the redesigned I-240/I-44/SW 74th junction would be a huge improvement.

I would like to see a freeway connecting I-44 and I-35, between Moore and Norman. Something roughly along the lines of this:

That looks somewhat similar to part of an earlier Kilpatrick turnpike expansion concepts from around a couple decades ago. Roughly the western third was recently built, there was a section similar to where you put the road, and a part completing the loop/diagonal west & south of the airport (though I think the junction with 44 was at least a mile further north).

[MagzOK]

^^
Yes, there were several options proposed from ODOT on the "outer loop" that went through this area. Alternate "Z", I believe, was to come out right close to that Baptist College area and they, along with many of the neighborhoods along there, became huge opponents to any outer loop studies and ODOT dropped the idea. I think that was about 15 -20 years ago. I can't remember what they were called but there were like three options that ODOT and the FHWA had come up with.

[gopokes88]

$4.3 billion over 5 years for roads highways and bridges. 30% increase.
That’ll put a dent into the poor roads.

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news...ma/5488268001/

[Plutonic Panda]

That is great! Now is the time for Oklahoma to go even more all in and give ODOT more funding on top of this so they can increase their funding by 50 percent.

[Plutonic Panda]

I-40/Frisco Rd interchange opened to traffic this morning:

https://oklahoma.gov/odot/citizen/ne...ew-access.html

[HFAA Alum]

That is great! Now is the time for Oklahoma to go even more all in and give ODOT more funding on top of this so they can increase their funding by 50 percent.

Here's to hoping that the legislature doesn't shut the door on that $3.5 Trillion dollar infrastructure deal. If Florida is anything to go by in terms of federal funds, Oklahoma state legislature could block the money from coming in out of political spite.

Murphy's Law, don't mess this up please.

[Plutonic Panda]

Next commission meeting meets on September 7th.

Items to be addressed at the meeting:
Secretary of Transportation Tim Gatz will update the commission on Oklahoma Transportation’s progress on structurally deficient bridges during the past year, with Oklahoma seeking to remain a Top Ten State for highway bridge conditions.

Gatz will also highlight upcoming Rail Safety Week in September, along with other safety topics including the dangers of impaired driving and bridge damage caused by over-height truck loads.

The commission is expected to consider authorizing the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to pursue a state bond sale to secure federal funding for major improvements to rural two-lane highways with deficient shoulders. This would make Oklahoma one of the first states in the nation to take advantage of a rural area Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Commissioners will be asked to vote on whether to award a nearly $19 million contract to reconstruct a segment of SH-33 in Cushing, along with contracts for preventative maintenance work on several bridges in Tulsa and Broken Arrow and the first phase of US-54 reconstruction near the Kansas state line in Texas County.

https://oklahoma.gov/odot/citizen/ne...or-tuesda.html

[vaflyer]

New letting schedule for large projects in OKC (per ODOT 8-year construction plan)

03/2022 - I-35 bridges over NE 63rd Street

09/2022 - I-40 Douglas Road interchange and I-40 between Douglas Road and I-240 (east end)
01/2023 - Final phase of I-235 and I-44
02/2023 - I-35 and Waterloo Road interchange
03/2023 - I-35 and I-240 interchange (phases II, III, and IV).

[G.Walker]

They really need to work on the I-35 & I-240 interchange now, that whole interchange is horrible.

They also need to widen I-240 to 6 lanes from I-35 to I-40.

[chssooner]

They really need to work on the I-35 & I-240 interchange now, that whole interchange is horrible.

They also need to widen I-240 to 6 lanes from I-35 to I-40.

I assume you mean I-44, with regards to I-240? If so, yes.

[G.Walker]

I assume you mean I-44, with regards to I-240? If so, yes.

No, I meant just what I said, lol.

[macfoucin]

https://twitter.com/OKDOT/status/146...427672582?s=20

MOORE/NORMAN: @OKDOT, @cityofmoore & @cityofnormanok are hosting a virtual open house to provide info on the ongoing study of the I-35 corridor & proposed operational improvements from north of S.W. 4th St. to south of Robinson St.

[Plutonic Panda]

https://oklahoma.gov/odot/citizen/ne...n-moore-a.html

Pretty big project but big mistake not adding additional mainline lanes. This freeway should be at minimum 5 lanes each way. Even better would be 5 free lanes each way plus 2 tolled lanes. Might seem like overkill but that would ensure this freeway flows for at least 40-50 more years with no traffic backups. If ODOT only adds one additional lane each way it will just be backed up in a few years and of course the anti car crowd will blame induced demand ignoring latent demand.

Adding interchanges at Rock Creek RD., and SW 34th ST., as well as building new service roads and converting existing to one way, rebuilding Robinson and SW 4th St. as a DDI, and new auxiliary lanes. I'd imagine this will be a several hundred million dollar project unless ODOT plans on doing these projects individually. Either way this will be a very significant project.

PS, very informative project page, ODOT has created for this project. I used to gripe at them for this but they have really improved. Cool interactive map you can use to view existing conditions and proposed. Hopefully they choose option 1.

PPS, I believe Moore has plans to grade separate the RR tracks with street on SW 4th. Would make sense to tie that project in with this one.

[warreng88]

The best expansion I ever saw that made sense was in Tulsa. Highway 169 (back in the 90's was busy, but not crazy busy). Over the course of about a year, they expanded all of the bridges at the intersections from Admiral to 81st. When the time came, they did an expansion from four into six lanes. Now, if they want to expand to eight lanes, they can easily. I wish OKC would do something like that to make it easier when the time comes to expand.

[Plutonic Panda]

The best expansion I ever saw that made sense was in Tulsa. Highway 169 (back in the 90's was busy, but not crazy busy). Over the course of about a year, they expanded all of the bridges at the intersections from Admiral to 81st. When the time came, they did an expansion from four into six lanes. Now, if they want to expand to eight lanes, they can easily. I wish OKC would do something like that to make it easier when the time comes to expand.

Texas is best model to follow. They will build six lanes arterial roads long before the need arises. Once the area on the fringes starts getting developed the road is already six lanes and sidewalks. What a noble concept. No need to expand the road inconveniencing drivers when everything is built up.

They also build super wide medians for eventual freeway conversions. Northwest Expressway and 39th expressway could eventually become more of a freeway but that is about it. No other corridor planning is happening and there are many places ACOG and ODOT need to start planning for new freeways. North of the Cimarron River in between Moore connecting I-35 to I-44 for starters. There is just absolutely zero planning when it comes to this. Commuter rail should be a bit easier since it will mostly be on existing rail but don't kid yourself, OKC will not be a mass transit oriented city in our lifetimes. I'd be surprised if that type of transit EVER carries more than 20 percent commuters here.