I40/I44 Interchange

[Snowman]

Well that's a major disappointment because they wouldn't spend anything on it if they had plans to tear it out any time soon. BOOOOOO

Not necessarily, 10 million does not seem like enough to completely redeck both directions. So may be enough of a refurbishment to get it through time replacement is likely. Even if they focused on it alone, the minimum time is probably something like two years, given how they tend to phase everything 5-10 is more likely.

[Plutonic Panda]

This interchange will be a huge project. Don't expect major rebuild anytime soon.

[gjl]

The way traffic backs up on 44 East in the mornings and 44 West in the evenings now I can't imagine how horrible it will be when they rebuild that interchange along with both directions on I40. You will see traffic backed up from Pennsylvania to SW 59th or even Airport Road on 44 West in the 4:30 to 5:30 times.

[Snowman]

The way traffic backs up on 44 East in the mornings and 44 West in the evenings now I can't imagine how horrible it will be when they rebuild that interchange along with both directions on I40. You will see traffic backed up from Pennsylvania to SW 59th or even Airport Road on 44 West in the 4:30 to 5:30 times.

Plus adding another lane to the bridges is hardly going to do that much without expanding I-44 & I40 to five lanes in all the directions approaching/departing the interchange, which does not even seem like they are even proposing yet.

[Plutonic Panda]

Not yet. 4 lanes each way would do wonders. I-44 north of I-40 to I-44 split should be 12 lanes.

[DowntownMan]

We still have three more months to go for more projects to be let for bid. I had thought the Edmond I-35 frontage roads project, I-35/Waterloo interchanges, and the I-44/I-44 bridges were supposed to be let for bid this year. As I understand it ODOT typically doesn't award and projects for bid in December. We'll see over the next couple months. Next months meeting in October we will get an updated 8 year plan so I am excited to see what projects they add or move up but the last few years have been extremely disappointing with a lot of projects getting pushed back. The state needs to better fund ODOT. Missouri just got together and decided to widen the entirety of I-70 through the whole f@cking state and they're doing the same thing with I-44. ODOT had a bone thrown at them by allowing them to be issued bonds a few years ago(maybe pre pandemic I can't remember) but they aren't allowed to take out bonds on their own. The state needs to give ODOT a major influx of cash or find a way to allow them to generate more revenue like raising gas taxes or something.

I noticed some concrete barriers and some equipment showing up at i35 and 2nd street and have seen some manhattan trucks out there. Seems like something about to start there.