Douglas & I-40 Interchange

[BoulderSooner]

Full closure scheduled to remove a bridge: https://kfor.com/news/local/full-i-4...for-may-19-22/

https://oklahoma.gov/odot/citizen/ne...-may-19-2.html

this is the first time I have seen this quote

The project also is widening I-40 to six lanes between I-240 and Town Center Dr.

this would include our well discuss pinch 2000 ft section ..

[Plutonic Panda]

this is the first time I have seen this quote



this would include our well discuss pinch 2000 ft section ..

I saw that and chalked it up to an error. How are they going to do that? Simply restripe the freeway? Otherwise there is no way they can modernize that stretch for the budget they have on this project. I knew it was being widened from around the Douglass BLVD interchange to I-240 but not to Town Center. I looked at all the plans and didn’t see anything about this section. I will now be emailing ODOT about this.

[BoulderSooner]

I saw that and chalked it up to an error. How are they going to do that? Simply restripe the freeway? Otherwise there is no way they can modernize that stretch for the budget they have on this project. I knew it was being widened from around the Douglass BLVD interchange to I-240 but not to Town Center. I looked at all the plans and didn’t see anything about this section. I will now be emailing ODOT about this.

they have enough room for all but 2000 ft to do a full build ..

and the most likely is to just have limited shoulders in that 2000 ft ..


either way i look forward to seeing how they respond to you

[Plutonic Panda]

they have enough room for all but 2000 ft to do a full build ..

and the most likely is to just have limited shoulders in that 2000 ft ..


either way i look forward to seeing how they respond to you

I just called the Oklahoma City residency office and they are going to have the project manager call me back today or tomorrow so I’m going to very interested what he says. I’ll post an update after I hear back.

[jn1780]

The preliminary Douglas interchange plans have the widening start at industrial Blvd and there is another project that was approved at the same time that covers from Douglas Interchange to I-240. I think the work zone technically starts at Town Center, but no widening is on the plans for that area.

[BoulderSooner]

I just called the Oklahoma City residency office and they are going to have the project manager call me back today or tomorrow so I’m going to very interested what he says. I’ll post an update after I hear back.

thanks for checking this out ...

[rte66man]

The preliminary Douglas interchange plans have the widening start at industrial Blvd and there is another project that was approved at the same time that covers from Douglas Interchange to I-240. I think the work zone technically starts at Town Center, but no widening is on the plans for that area.

The "work zone" is different from the "construction zone". A work zone includes areas at each end outside the construction zone to include things like warnings of construction ahead.

[bombermwc]

Well we will find out soon enough. They already started dozing at the Douglas junction.

Here's my crystal ball to help tell you if they do the 2000 ft section. If they remove the railway bridge and Arnold St bridge right there at the curve near Midwest Blvd, then the widening is happening. If they don't, then that's going to come later. Because I can't envision any way they can squeeze 6 lanes under those two bridges. They would have to have people driving on the actual shoulder with re-stripping where you could reach out and touch the bridge support otherwise. And since neither of those bridges serve any purpose any longer, it also removes the need for I-40 to even be below grade. They're taking out Engle, which i had mixed up with Industrial because i couldn't think of Engle at all since its been closed for decades.

So the question remains on Industrial too. It's similarly built and would probably need to be replaced to make room for 6 lanes. But it's just a traditional dip, not a whole massive thing like at the curve.

Removing that need to go below grade may make the whole thing easier to do too.

[bombermwc]

I should also point out that they're doing re-paving (again) on this area of 40. It gets beat up pretty hard so it needs it about every 5-7 years anyway. So I dont know that it precludes the possibility of a pending widening, but with the way ODOT works, they rarely put any money in to something if they plan on ripping it up soon. Maybe some grant money was used? I dont know. If I had to guess, I'd say the SPUI and the widening will be on different timelines with widening not even being considered until after the SPUI is done. And again, widening will only happen if they remove those bridges.

[jn1780]

The "work zone" is different from the "construction zone". A work zone includes areas at each end outside the construction zone to include things like warnings of construction ahead.

True, I think that's where the confusion is coming from. I'm sure this area is in the pipeline for some kind of widening, but doesn't appear to be occurring at this time.

[bombermwc]

Well the story gets even more muddy folks. The graded off the shoulder for the path all the way up to Anderson. And they had Anderson closed under I-40 as well for some weird reason (with a backhoe on the bridge).

So much of this doesn't line up in my brain. Why scrape the shoulders if you weren't planning on doing the 6 land work? But why would you not grade the INSIDE instead of the outside? That would mean tearing out the wire barrier, which i did not see that they had done. Plus those bridges are still there.

[BoulderSooner]

Why scrape the shoulders if you weren't planning on doing the 6 land work?

they are 100% doing the 6 lane work from somewhere west of Douglas all too 240 merge ...

[therhett17]

Wonder when they're supposed to install the streetlights on the stretch they just rebuilt? Been like that for months now

[bombermwc]

I noticed that last time i drove down I-40. Only a couple of them were installed. They also never finished painting the Sooner Rd bridge.

I also figured out why Anderson was closed that weekend. They ripped out the sides (middle) of both bridges. Looks like they are prepping to "bridge the gap" (hahaha) to connect the two bridges to make the 6 lanes for that one. The jack hammered out the divider, the side supports, the concrete below/etc. That was short-sighted since OKC just spend a bunch of money trying to turn that section of Anderson into 4 lanes, but it has to squeeze down to 2 to fit under the bridge. Seems sort of silly to me, but whatever. Save a buck here to kick that can down the line.

[OKC B-Man]

I noticed that last time i drove down I-40. Only a couple of them were installed. They also never finished painting the Sooner Rd bridge.

I also figured out why Anderson was closed that weekend. They ripped out the sides (middle) of both bridges. Looks like they are prepping to "bridge the gap" (hahaha) to connect the two bridges to make the 6 lanes for that one. The jack hammered out the divider, the side supports, the concrete below/etc. That was short-sighted since OKC just spend a bunch of money trying to turn that section of Anderson into 4 lanes, but it has to squeeze down to 2 to fit under the bridge. Seems sort of silly to me, but whatever. Save a buck here to kick that can down the line.

Just did some sleuthing through the plans and it looks like actually will be extending the I-40 bridges to accommodate 4 lanes (+ a center turn lane) on Anderson. I agree with your sentiment on ODOT's short-sightedness though. That's how i feel about some of the more recent bridge replacements on I-35 between OKC and Texas. The N & S bound bridges over the Wa****a river just north of Pauls Valley come to mind. Crazy that they didn't build those wide enough to accommodate a future 3rd lane in both directions. Seems like ODOT is starting to head that direction though on current and future bridge replacements.

[jn1780]

I noticed that last time i drove down I-40. Only a couple of them were installed. They also never finished painting the Sooner Rd bridge.

I also figured out why Anderson was closed that weekend. They ripped out the sides (middle) of both bridges. Looks like they are prepping to "bridge the gap" (hahaha) to connect the two bridges to make the 6 lanes for that one. The jack hammered out the divider, the side supports, the concrete below/etc. That was short-sighted since OKC just spend a bunch of money trying to turn that section of Anderson into 4 lanes, but it has to squeeze down to 2 to fit under the bridge. Seems sort of silly to me, but whatever. Save a buck here to kick that can down the line.

I don't think their trying to 'bridge the gap'. For whatever reason, they determined it made more sense to build 50 percent of a new bridge between those two old bridges and than build the other 50 percent after shifting traffic to new bridge. They demolished the retaining wall and breakdown lane to make more room.

ODOT is shortsighted, but I don't think they are that shortsighted to only enough room for two lanes for Anderson. Especially those two bridges are really two old to just upgrade like that.

[jn1780]

Just did some sleuthing through the plans and it looks like actually will be extending the I-40 bridges to accommodate 4 lanes (+ a center turn lane) on Anderson. I agree with your sentiment on ODOT's short-sightedness though. That's how i feel about some of the more recent bridge replacements on I-35 between OKC and Texas. The N & S bound bridges over the Wa****a river just north of Pauls Valley come to mind. Crazy that they didn't build those wide enough to accommodate a future 3rd lane in both directions. Seems like ODOT is starting to head that direction though on current and future bridge replacements.

That kind of bridge expansion is not terrible though as long as the width between the piers line up. Its kind of like when KPT was expanded and they did 'Bridge the gap' in that case.

[OKC B-Man]

That kind of bridge expansion is not terrible though as long as the width between the piers line up. Its kind of like when KPT was expanded and they did 'Bridge the gap' in that case.

Yeah, that would for sure be the best case scenario. Especially since they'd be able to keep at least 1 lane open in each direction without having to divert one lane to the opposite direction of travel. I believe the North & South spans over the Whashi-ta are too far apart for that to be a realistic option though. Best i can tell from google earth the Washi-ta bridges are roughly 90' apart whereas the KPT were only 35'.

[therhett17]

Noticed they have poured a new asphalt lane on I-40 where the widening is occurring. I sure hope this is a temp lane and not part of the final product. Hoping they do all concrete like they did on the other section of I-40.