NW Expressway & Classen

[TheTravellers]

Redesign really might change things, especially if they go for something visible like a water feature or statue. It's true, though, probably not till the 2030s.

It won't even happen then, status quo will stay in place, there's no way the city, ODOT, Feds or whoever owns all the roads there will do anything like put a traffic circle in, no matter what other things are done to the highway. I'd bet $100 that it won't happen, they have enough work to do just keeping things from entropy taking over (and they're not doing a good job at that, and haven't for decades), they're not going to do anything besides the bare minimum.

[gjl]

Here is an image from 1969.

I drove through the Classen Circle many times when I was younger. I really hated to see it go. Also from there going south on Classen if you made the first light you came to and drove exactly 35 mph which I believe was the speed limit you would make every light except one until you got to Main Street. I don't remember which light it was but I don't think it was a major road like 36th, 23rd or 10th. We used to do it just for kicks when we were teenagers in the early 70s. The Classen Circle was where we knew our many road trips to Chicago really started and on the way back when were almost home. That was before I44 through OKC was built too.

[bombermwc]

There is a TON more traffic going through here than in 1969. The US doesn't do high traffic circles well at all. I honestly do not think that a circle would be a good fit here given the volume now. There are very few examples of circles in the US that can handle the amount of cars that go through here during rush hour. The NWXway and the Classen traffic are both pretty heavy and they go in all different directions. A lot of traffic takes the ramps at the mall, but there's still quite a bit that, for whatever reason, prefers to go to this intersection....and of course the Classen traffic all goes through here regardless of the direction.

What really gets you is the double turn lanes in multiple directions because of the volumes. So for different reasons than given above, I dont think that this will be coming back.



As for the other homes being bought up, Steve is right. If Zerby is involved, you're looking at big-box. He's the biggest investor in the development of Westgate on I-40 and everything on both sides of the highway. When he and his partners bought the Lucent plant, the sold off land for the outlet mall and Francis Tuttle to help finance their projects. The Lucent Plant (7725 Connect aka OKCWorks) has managed to actually spring back pretty well post COVID, but i bet once Paycom's new building is done, they will have a massive office hole to fill again. I say all that to say, the man has quite a bit of capital to throw around, but he's a very much long-term developer. He's not big on the short-term flip situations...or at least hasn't mostly been that way. You'll also see his F5 construction firm name on the projects, so he's got a bit of a vertical integration going with the development too.

He's an interesting cat to work with. Can be somewhat volatile at times.

[Rover]

It won't even happen then, status quo will stay in place, there's no way the city, ODOT, Feds or whoever owns all the roads there will do anything like put a traffic circle in, no matter what other things are done to the highway. I'd bet $100 that it won't happen, they have enough work to do just keeping things from entropy taking over (and they're not doing a good job at that, and haven't for decades), they're not going to do anything besides the bare minimum.

Wasn't Classen Circle changed because of the high rate of accidents occurring there? OKC drivers didn't seem to handle it well. Still, on the few we have, many don't know how to enter and exit right and cause issues for others. It happens almost every time i go through the one at Midtown. But then again I see drivers doing U-turns in the middle of Broadway, cutting in front of cars to get across two lanes at a time, and texting while driving all the time too.

Ive driven alot in Europe and don't seem to see the same sort of traffic circle issues as i do in OK. We seem less practiced and more aggressive in driving them.

[mugofbeer]

Wasn't Classen Circle changed because of the high rate of accidents occurring there? OKC drivers didn't seem to handle it well. Still, on the few we have, many don't know how to enter and exit right and cause issues for others. It happens almost every time i go through the one at Midtown. But then again I see drivers doing U-turns in the middle of Broadway, cutting in front of cars to get across two lanes at a time, and texting while driving all the time too.

Ive driven alot in Europe and don't seem to see the same sort of traffic circle issues as i do in OK. We seem less practiced and more aggressive in driving them.

And drive much bigger vehicles ....