The New I-40 (Construction Updates)

[SOUTHSIDE GIRL]

The S. Western Bridge is now OPEN.....YEA.......

[Architect2010]

I'm glad those underpasses are gone.

They were terrifying to walk through. And not to mention disgusting. They needed to go. I truly believe there was no hope for them.

[metro]

What??? You do realize they were excellent architecture don't you architecture student? They can powerwash things as well as add lighting and your problems are solved.

[Kerry]

I'm glad those underpasses are gone.

They were terrifying to walk through. And not to mention disgusting. They needed to go. I truly believe there was no hope for them.

No hope for them? Even if they wanted to save them they couldn't. With the railroad gone and a new depressed freeway going through what were they going to go under?

[OKC@heart]

I am going to address both views, since there was no option for salvaging the bridge, due to its relevance dissapearing due to the new recessed cross town, it really isn't an issue.

That said, what I am sad about, is that the bridge was a great example of infrastructure that paid attention to the details and quality that it added to the area. There is no denying that it was a unique design and much of its fear and concern that a person felt at walking underneath it has everybit to do with the neighborhood it was a part of and the fact that there was not adequate lighting and so it felt dangerous.

I was just thinking what a great placemaking bridge it could have been with a good cleanup and some great lighting as a way to celebrate the bridge and bring attention to an all too often overlooked treasure.

Alas not to be, however it is with that eye that we need to do our darndest to evaluate the few remaining structures such as this around the city that can be saved so that we are not left with out a sense of history. The techniques used like that are not done very often and certainly not in the same way anymore and icons such as this are elements that contribute significantly to the urban fabric that make each area of town seem unique and create local landmarks. For that reason I mourn its demise, but understand in this case why salvaging is not possible.

[Kerry]

I am going to address both views, since there was no option for salvaging the bridge, due to its relevance dissapearing due to the new recessed cross town, it really isn't an issue.

That said, what I am sad about, is that the bridge was a great example of infrastructure that paid attention to the details and quality that it added to the area. There is no denying that it was a unique design and much of its fear and concern that a person felt at walking underneath it has everybit to do with the neighborhood it was a part of and the fact that there was not adequate lighting and so it felt dangerous.

I was just thinking what a great placemaking bridge it could have been with a good cleanup and some great lighting as a way to celebrate the bridge and bring attention to an all too often overlooked treasure.

Alas not to be, however it is with that eye that we need to do our darndest to evaluate the few remaining structures such as this around the city that can be saved so that we are not left with out a sense of history. The techniques used like that are not done very often and certainly not in the same way anymore and icons such as this are elements that contribute significantly to the urban fabric that make each area of town seem unique and create local landmarks. For that reason I mourn its demise, but understand in this case why salvaging is not possible.

Pretty good summation.

[OKCDrummer77]

I drove the newly opened Western Avenue bridge and got a few pictures:

[oneforone]

I am just wondering what they are going to do with the Reno side of the Penn Avenue Bridge.

That will be one steep slope if it is left the way it is now.

[OKCisOK4me]

I am just wondering what they are going to do with the Reno side of the Penn Avenue Bridge.

That will be one steep slope if it is left the way it is now.

They have to move the tracks right in close where the north wall is (like it is at the Western Bridge). From this point it will be a downhill slope to Reno which I imagine will be steep and a road I wouldn't want to mess with during future ice storms.

[Architect2010]

Looks nice!

In relevance to the underpasses. Yes they were "pretty", yes they were "historic". But powerwashing and adding lights isn't going to help anything if they return to their previous condition within a couple of months. Until that area is gentrified, which won't be for years, those underpasses would have had no hope. Crosstown or not. This is what I meant. It's not that I ever wanted them gone necessarily, but they can't be fixed until that area is. And as I recall, Core to Shore is pretty long-term. It would have been awhile.

[westsidesooner]

Great pics of the new bridge OKCDrummer.....Thx.

Any bets on how long it'll be before it gets tagged?

[jbrown84]

Photo Gallery

Courtesy of 40forward.com

I love the architectural detail on the bridges, especially the supports. FINALLY we do something more than just plain flat concrete! Not as much of a fan of the faux-stone texture on the retaining walls.

[kevinpate]

Great pics of the new bridge OKCDrummer.....Thx.

Any bets on how long it'll be before it gets tagged?

Actually, was tagged before it ever opened. I think it was that bridge anyway. I remember Doug posted some images a while back.

Sure looked like some not so graceful clean-up work was visible in those photos as well.

[OKCisOK4me]

Actually, was tagged before it ever opened. I think it was that bridge anyway. I remember Doug posted some images a while back.

Sure looked like some not so graceful clean-up work was visible in those photos as well.

No, that was the Pennsylvania St. Bridge. The Western route was just a road back when that tagging happened...

[kevinpate]

Thanks for clarifying that.

[metro]

Pretty sure it's been tagged multiple times at numerous spots.

[jonno]

Photos taken today (3/5/10) from the new Western Ave. bridge over the new I-40 alignment and new RR tracks.

Looking southeast toward Western Ave. over the future I-40 alignment while standing on what will be an on-ramp


Looking northeast from the other side of the on-ramp at a second bridge over the relocated railroad tracks. Note the concrete details that only trains will see.


Looking west toward Exchange Ave. and Penn


Skyline shot from the sidewalk on the Western Ave. bridge. From this angle I think Devon's tower will fill the gap quite nicely.

[Pete]

Thanks jonno!

Great to see the progress.

[OKCisOK4me]

Two things I noticed.

In the second pic, it looks like they left enough room for expansion of either a second rail line for UP or perhaps (for Tom Elmore and many more) a path dedicated for future commuter rail.

In that last pic. Just to the right of the crane is where the tower will sit. It def takes care of the gap between FNC and Chase!

[betts]

I went and looked at the excavations behind Union Station today and there is water there. I don't know if that's water that seeped in or if it is left over from snow melt, and there is a lot of water on the streets around the new boathouses. But, if that's ground water, then that might be the problem metro is talking about.

[Doug Loudenback]

Although it hasn't been formally announced yet, the old logos of Rock Island & Frisco on the Robinson underpass have been/are being salvaged and will be a permanent exhibit at the Oklahoma City Railway. We'll have more about this later, but it's fair that you know this now. One of the logos is shown in a couple of pics I took in 2007 (the Frisco logo is covered by the clearance sign):





Information about and pics of the Oklahoma Railway Museum are here: Doug Dawgz Blog: Okc Trains Part 2

[gen70]

Thank you for that.

[kevinpate]

Thank you for that.

Aye-up

[workman45]

Thanks Doug.

[metro]

Thanks Doug. I was to the point where I was going to dig through the rubble and try to find them myself.