Boulevard Funding Developments

[jonno]

I was looking at the new 8 year work plan the other day and noticed some interesting developments on the funding for The Boulevard. Each year when the 8 year work plan comes out it is tempting to only look at the last year but a thorough study of the entire plan is needed to see what projects have shifted within, been removed from or added to the plan.

The following projects specifically mention THE BOULEVARD:

FFY 2012 - I-40 CROSSTOWN: WP 3.5, WEST CONNECTION OF NEW XTOWN WITH THE BOULEVARD $5,000,000 (Pg 36 of 98)

FFY 2013 - I-40 CROSSTOWN: WP 1.5, BNSF BRIDGE AT BOULEVARD $6,011,125 (Pg 46 of 98)

FFY 2013 - I-40 CROSSTOWN: WP 4.5, GRADE, DRAIN, BRIDGE & SURFACE THE BOULEVARD FROM BNSF EAST TO I-40 $15,000,000 (Pg 46 of 98)

FFY 2014 - I-40 CROSSTOWN: WP.1.5 RR WORK FOR THE BNSF BRIDGE AT THE BOULEVARD***WORK ASSOCIATED WITH 17428(25)*** $1,378,918 (This is a bridge rehabilitation project Pg 58 of 98)

The work plan can be found at this link:
http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/projm...p2011-2018.pdf

If you search the 2010-2017 plan the only mention of the word 'Boulevard' is from two projects in Commanche County and obviously have nothing to do with the Crosstown. The 2011-2018 plan returns the results above. If I remember correctly the numbers thrown out for the total cost of The Boulevard were in the neighborhood of $70 - 80 million. It would appear that roughly $27 million of that has been found.

[Larry OKC]

Interesting...wonder why we haven't seen anything mentioned about it in the media...when this came out a couple of weeks ago, no mention was made about the Boulevard in the article...

[Spartan]

I always heard it would be a $40 million project..

[Larry OKC]

Dang it Spartan, now I am going to have to go digging again...think it was in the $70 - 80M range too but the way they keep sub-dividing the project out makes it hard to tell...LOL

[Larry OKC]

Upon review, this Gazette article put it at $75M (sorry, don't have a link)

Boulevard planned to replace Crosstown bridge, but its design, funding are uncertain (Gazette, 10/28/09)

Seem to recall earlier ones that had it @ $100M but that may have included things that have been broken down into separate elements.

[Larry OKC]

found the article that put the project amount at $100M

Funding OK'd in Crosstown highway plan Money is still needed to tear down old one, department official says. (9/20/2008)

The department hasn't found a source yet for about $100 million needed for [1] tearing down the current Crosstown Expressway, [2] building a boulevard in its place and [3] an interchange at Byers and Lincoln Boulevard, Ridley said.

From an article starting one of the threads that I couldn't locate again, looks like they have further subdivided the Boulevard:
[1] has been funded = $8.7M
[2] still unfunded = $80M
[3] is funded = $17M

So while it looked like the estimates had gone down from $100M to $80M to $75M, if the above numbers still hold, they just keep subdividing it (actually the cost has gone up some from the $100M figure to $105.7M (mol)

[CaseyCornett]

Is this the Boulevard that Steve is going to buy me a drink on in 2014? What a nice guy he is.

[betts]

Is this the Boulevard that Steve is going to buy me a drink on in 2014? What a nice guy he is.

If you can safely cross four lanes of cars going 70 mph to get to the center median strip he will (sorry for speaking for you Steve).

[Steve]

Casey, what are you seeing in this information that gives you comfort the boulevard will be done by 2014? Promises by agency officials and elected leaders?

[SkyWestOKC]

If you can safely cross four lanes of cars going 70 mph to get to the center median strip he will (sorry for speaking for you Steve).

Don't doubt an Oklahoman. I have actually witnessed this happening on I-40 near Meridian. Surprising was no one touched their brakes.

[OKCisOK4me]

I looked over the .pdf file. Lots of interesting projects on the list. There were some that weren't brought to my attention by the media. The most interesting one, after all of the Right of Way acquisition in and around I-35 and I-240 was a project slated for 2018 (who knows if it will be let during the fiscal year) that said "I-35 over I-240 (reconstruct of interchange)".

I guess this would be the big I-240/I-35 project everyone has been wanting to be done for years (we were once shown a teaser ODOT aerial master plan for this interchange).

And I read the mention of this project in the article but I'm surprised they're doing the I-44/I-235 interchange and finalizing the last of Broadway Extension between NW 63rd & NW 36 before that interchange is done down south. I would think that it's capacity per day is higher than the work force driving from Edmond to downtown and vice-a-versa!

[SkyWestOKC]

I looked over the .pdf file. Lots of interesting projects on the list. There were some that weren't brought to my attention by the media. The most interesting one, after all of the Right of Way acquisition in and around I-35 and I-240 was a project slated for 2018 (who knows if it will be let during the fiscal year) that said "I-35 over I-240 (reconstruct of interchange)".

I guess this would be the big I-240/I-35 project everyone has been wanting to be done for years (we were once shown a teaser ODOT aerial master plan for this interchange).

And I read the mention of this project in the article but I'm surprised they're doing the I-44/I-235 interchange and finalizing the last of Broadway Extension between NW 63rd & NW 36 before that interchange is done down south. I would think that it's capacity per day is higher than the work force driving from Edmond to downtown and vice-a-versa!

The cloverleaf system used for the I-240/I-35 interchange is an inefficient design for the amount of traffic it handles. The cloverleaf is good for traffic level comparable to Airport Road and Meridian, MacArthur Ave., etc. We need an elevated non-cloverleaf interchange.

[Spartan]

This entire project has become a huge boondoggle. The blvd shouldn't cost more than $25 mil...

[CuatrodeMayo]

I looked over the .pdf file. Lots of interesting projects on the list. There were some that weren't brought to my attention by the media. The most interesting one, after all of the Right of Way acquisition in and around I-35 and I-240 was a project slated for 2018 (who knows if it will be let during the fiscal year) that said "I-35 over I-240 (reconstruct of interchange)".

I guess this would be the big I-240/I-35 project everyone has been wanting to be done for years (we were once shown a teaser ODOT aerial master plan for this interchange).

And I read the mention of this project in the article but I'm surprised they're doing the I-44/I-235 interchange and finalizing the last of Broadway Extension between NW 63rd & NW 36 before that interchange is done down south. I would think that it's capacity per day is higher than the work force driving from Edmond to downtown and vice-a-versa!

After looking over the plan, it appears (to me) the I-235/I-44 interchange and the I-35/I-240 interchange work will be mostly simultaneous.

[OKCisOK4me]

The cloverleaf system used for the I-240/I-35 interchange is an inefficient design for the amount of traffic it handles. The cloverleaf is good for traffic level comparable to Airport Road and Meridian, MacArthur Ave., etc. We need an elevated non-cloverleaf interchange.

I'm aware of the original design of the plan. Both interchanges use them. I'm just surprised of the fact that 44/235 is being taken care of first. In regards to my original post, I guess I should have bolded it. Again, it says "I-35 OVER I-240". Odd, being that it goes under...

[CaseyCornett]

Casey, what are you seeing in this information that gives you comfort the boulevard will be done by 2014? Promises by agency officials and elected leaders?

[jn1780]

I'm aware of the original design of the plan. Both interchanges use them. I'm just surprised of the fact that 44/235 is being taken care of first. In regards to my original post, I guess I should have bolded it. Again, it says "I-35 OVER I-240". Odd, being that it goes under...

Maybe their waiting for Crossroads Mall to exit the picture so they can design an interchange the mall won't complain about.

[BoulderSooner]

I was looking at the new 8 year work plan the other day and noticed some interesting developments on the funding for The Boulevard. Each year when the 8 year work plan comes out it is tempting to only look at the last year but a thorough study of the entire plan is needed to see what projects have shifted within, been removed from or added to the plan.

The following projects specifically mention THE BOULEVARD:

FFY 2012 - I-40 CROSSTOWN: WP 3.5, WEST CONNECTION OF NEW XTOWN WITH THE BOULEVARD $5,000,000 (Pg 36 of 98)

FFY 2013 - I-40 CROSSTOWN: WP 1.5, BNSF BRIDGE AT BOULEVARD $6,011,125 (Pg 46 of 98)

FFY 2013 - I-40 CROSSTOWN: WP 4.5, GRADE, DRAIN, BRIDGE & SURFACE THE BOULEVARD FROM BNSF EAST TO I-40 $15,000,000 (Pg 46 of 98)

FFY 2014 - I-40 CROSSTOWN: WP.1.5 RR WORK FOR THE BNSF BRIDGE AT THE BOULEVARD***WORK ASSOCIATED WITH 17428(25)*** $1,378,918 (This is a bridge rehabilitation project Pg 58 of 98)

The work plan can be found at this link:
http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/projm...p2011-2018.pdf

If you search the 2010-2017 plan the only mention of the word 'Boulevard' is from two projects in Commanche County and obviously have nothing to do with the Crosstown. The 2011-2018 plan returns the results above. If I remember correctly the numbers thrown out for the total cost of The Boulevard were in the neighborhood of $70 - 80 million. It would appear that roughly $27 million of that has been found.

missed one also on pg 46

WP 5.1: OVRLAY & STRIPE I-40 MAINLINE FR PENN TO WESTERN, GR, DR, BR & SURF MULTI-LANE RDWY ON FORMER I-40 XTWN BR ALNMT FR CLASSEN TO E.K.GAYLORD.
17428(80) FFY 2013 OKLAHOMA Div. 4 IS040 2.170 Mi. Let 05/2013 $15,000,000