Interstate from OKC to Denver?

[KayneMo]

I don't know if this idea has ever been tossed around, but wouldn't it be neat to have an interstate from Oklahoma City to Denver? What do you all think?

With Paint, I put together this map using Google Maps and drew where this visionary interstate highway could be built between OKC and Denver. Also, I drew a visionary extension of I-45, connecting Dallas to Tulsa, and Tulsa to the Kansas City area. What are your opinions? Any more ideas or alternatives? If so, let's draw!

[MikeOKC]

The "Northwest Passage" was former Governor George Nigh's longtime dream.

[sgt. pepper]

We do need a highway from Denver thru OKC down to Shreveport/New Orleans, but the highway from Dallas to KC parallels with I-35 and is not needed.

[Martin]

hmmm... interesting idea. in colorado, i'd think that your hypothetical interstate would follow either highway 50 and hook into i-25 or follow highway 287 hooking into i-70. either way, more existing right of way would be used. of those two variations, hooking into i-25 would also create direct access to pueblo and colorado springs without backtracking so i'd think that would be the preferred route.

-M

[BG918]

Colorado would likely get behind this. They are already isolated as it is, and this would improve their connectivity to the southeast.

Hwy 75 should be upgraded, maybe not to an interstate but to limited access highway from the Oklahoma border to Tulsa. 75 is already limited access from Dallas to just across the border. That would require bypassing several of the small towns along the way, and it would likely cut drive times from Tulsa to Dallas to under 4 hours.

[Kerry]

I-45 to Checotah is the long range plan but it will require Oklahoma to make a postion of it a toll road.

http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-045.html

There are no plans for a Denver to OKC route although nearly every even number between 1-40 and I-70 is available.

[Jesseda]

i have ben wishing for this for awhile, a straight shot to denver will save me hours on visiting my niece, and a a straight path to shreveport, oh can how great can it be not going to dallas area then to shreveport.. we really need this, anyway this can become possible, i doubt it since it makes since, gov't-states usually builds things that are pointless

[Spartan]

That's a whole lot of money to be spent on a road that goes through the middle of nowhere. There's a whole lot of nothing between OKC and Denver..might be the worst stretch of that in America if they built such a road. Seems like there would be more efficient uses of the money.

[swilki]

1-40 and I-70 is available.

Isn't there something to how they name the interstates, like even numbers are e/w and odds are n/s.

I spoke with some people at ODOT and OTA a while ago about this idea. I don't think there are any firm plans to develop this into a full blown interstate, however they are widening most of it to four lanes.

I travel that way all the time when going to Colorado. However, at Boise City I cut over to New Mexico and then to I-25, seems to be the fastest way for me. Not a lot of cops on that road

[rcjunkie]

This new Interstate should go NW of OKC through Okarche, Okeene, Fairview, etc;.

By the way, I have 240 acres in Fairview for sale if the State or anyone else is interested. (self interest intended)

[ImTheDude]

That's a whole lot of money to be spent on a road that goes through the middle of nowhere. There's a whole lot of nothing between OKC and Denver..might be the worst stretch of that in America if they built such a road. Seems like there would be more efficient uses of the money.

The stretch from Salina to Denver isn't any better.

[Kerry]

Isn't there something to how they name the interstates, like even numbers are e/w and odds are n/s.

Here is more than you will ever want to know:

http://www.interstate-guide.com/interstate.html

Directions
Even Numbers travel east-west (I-4, I-8, I-10, I-12, etc.)
Odd Numbers travel north-south (I-5, I-15, I-17, I-19, etc.)

Significance
Routes ending in "0" are major east-west routes (I-10, I-20, I-40, I-70, I-80, I-90)
Routes ending in "5" are major north-south routes (I-5, I-15, I-25, I-35, I-55, I-65, I-75, I-85, I-95)

Orientation
Lower numbered routes are generally located in the south and west
Higher numbered routes are generally located in the north and east

As a result, the Interstate Highway system forms a grid with numerical designations increasing gradually from low to high - both from west to east and south to north.
Interstate Highways were intentionally numbered so that they would not conflict with the preexisting U.S. Numbered System; in fact, the intent was that no Interstate Highway and U.S. Highway would share the same number within the same state.
I-24 and U.S. 24 currently both exist in Illinois.

Current plans for extensions to I-49, I-69, and I-74 will result in those routes meeting and intersecting their U.S. Highway counterparts.

Interstate 50 and Interstate 60 were not assigned so as to avoid conflicts with U.S. 50 and U.S. 60 in the central part of the country.

Some Interstate Highways are Unsigned, including a variety of spur and loop routes that are often superfluous or confusing designations in addition to the primary route number.

Loop routes and through routes that generally connect to an Interstate highway at either end have an even first digit.:

Full 360-degree beltways include I-270 OH, I-275 KY/OH/IN, I-285 GA, I-410 TX, I-465 IN, I-495 MD/VA, I-610 TX, I-695 MD .

I-275 in KY, IN, and OH is the only three-digit Interstate currently to serve three states.

I-495 (Capital Beltway) serves Virginia and Maryland, but a portion of the route passes through the District of Columbia while crossing the Potomac River at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

I-271 and I-480 merge together briefly east of Cleveland, marking the only location where two three-digit Interstate routes merge together.

The following routes have an even first digit but do not end at another Interstate highway on one end: I-264 VA, I-295 NY, I-478 NY, I-495 NY, I-678 NY, I-635 TX, I-878 NY.

The following routes are examples of intercity routes, acting in a regional capacity: I-280 CA, I-476 PA, I-495 MA, I-680 CA, I-684 NY/CT
I-238 in CA acts as a spur of I-80, connecting I-880 and I-580 in the San Francisco Bay Area. At the time it was commissioned, no more I-x80 route numbers were available for use, so the designation of adjacent CA 238 was used to number I-238.

Some even-prefixed three-digit routes serve states that are not served by their parents, including I-275 OH/KY/IN and I-287 NJ/NY.

Spur routes and city routes that may or may not connect to an Interstate highway at one end have an odd first digit:
I-585 in SC does not connect to its parent (I-85) currently; it begins at Business Loop I-85 and ends in downtown Spartanburg.

The following routes are examples of intercity routes, acting in a regional capacity: I-380 PA, I-385 SC, I-505 CA.

Some odd-prefixed three-digit routes serve states that are not served by their parents, including I-129 NE/IA and I-535 MN/WI.

Some Interstates have state route extensions, including I-15 in San Diego (continues as CA 15), I-265 in New Albany (continues as IN 265), I-381 in Bristol (continues as VA 381), I-481 in Syracuse (continues as NY 481), I-690 in Syracuse (continues as NY 690), and I-794 in Milwaukee (continues as WI 794/Lake Parkway).

Some proposed future Interstate corridors have state route designations for now, including TN 840 near Nashville and CA 905 in San Diego.

Still other state routes have numbers that may make it look like a future Interstate corridor but are not, including VT 191 in Newport and IL 394 near Chicago Heights.

[Tier2City]

every even number between 1-40 and I-70 is available.

Isn't there something to how they name the interstates, like even numbers are e/w and odds are n/s.

I always used to wonder for years why there was such a gap in the even e/w interstates (specifically, between I-44 and I-64). Turns out the rules say you can't have a interstate with the same number as a US-Hwy (also even e/w but which start low in the north go higher towards the south) in the same state. Which is why there is such a gap throughout the middle of the country.

It's not a problem for the n/s odd Interstates and US-Hwy because of the national population distribution and this overlap doesn't occur.

Of course, there are numerous interstates that go out of zone, especially in a diagonal direction.

What would be the OKCTalk designation for this route?

[David Pollard]

No, no, no!! That is one of the most pristine parts of the state left that is relatively untouched by the modern world. It may sound selfish, but I hope that an interstate does not plow through what's left of the prairies to the detriment of that fragile ecology. Train yes, interstate NO! Not just to serve the egoistic whims of a bunch of urban ski-fans that need a quicker break to the mountain!!

Let the controversy roll........

[Kerry]

what would be the okctalk designation for this route?

i-48

[Jesseda]

I-25 from albuquerque to las cruces has nothing really except a town called elephant butte lol, but it serves a point( to get to el paso faster)].. a lot of gallons of gas would be saved on trucking from denver all the way to shreveport, and small towns can grow witha interstae beside it

[Spartan]

Not just to serve the egoistic whims of a bunch of urban ski-fans that need a quicker break to the mountain!!

Actually now that you mention that, maybe we do badly need this highway..

[BG918]

No, no, no!! That is one of the most pristine parts of the state left that is relatively untouched by the modern world. It may sound selfish, but I hope that an interstate does not plow through what's left of the prairies to the detriment of that fragile ecology. Train yes, interstate NO! Not just to serve the egoistic whims of a bunch of urban ski-fans that need a quicker break to the mountain!!

Let the controversy roll........

That would cut travel time to Denver to 8 hours. You could be in Summit County in under 10 hours. That would be really nice for people wanting to ski on long weekends. Of course that's not why you build a new billion dollar interstate, but it would be nice!

I imagine we'll see Hwy 69/75 upgraded before we see an interstate to Denver.

[mburlison]

This new Interstate should go NW of OKC through Okarche, Okeene, Fairview, etc;.

By the way, I have 240 acres in Fairview for sale if the State or anyone else is interested. (self interest intended)

Used to farm out west of Fairview for my Grandparents a lot, RC, and we had the bigger part of a section in town as well. (just as you head across the tracks on 60 heading west). Unfortunately, so many of the 'family farms' have been bought up... Actually the route up through 81, then through Fairview and out through Bouse Junction wouldn't be that bad, scenery wise... I don't think there is the demand for it though, and it'd probably follow the Watonga to Ft. Supply route.
M. Burlison

[OKCJapan]

For years, I have thought that such a interstate would be a good idea.

I think that if such a road were built, then it would have to run through Woodward, Guymon, Lamar, CO to make it economically feasible. Then connect it I-25 at Colorado Springs.

[KayneMo]

What would be the OKCTalk designation for this route?

Interstate 51.

http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-045.html

^I'm not very fond of the idea of I-45 ending in Checotah, nothing against the town or anything! I just think it would make more sense to have I-45 go to Tulsa, rather than having it end some 50 miles to the southeast. And with this, my hypothetical idea is to upgrade all of Highway 69/75 to interstate standards (through Calera, and from Caddo to McAlester), and then have the interstate veer onto the northern section of Indian Nation Turnpike towards Henryetta. Then have Highway 75 upgraded again all the way to Tulsa, then off to Kansas City!

[Spartan]

If I-45 were extended to Checotah, would that town be at risk of losing its 1 stop light town designation? lol

The problem with Tulsa-KC is that somebody already jumped on NW Ark-KC and that's going to become an interstate.

[rcjunkie]

Used to farm out west of Fairview for my Grandparents a lot, RC, and we had the bigger part of a section in town as well. (just as you head across the tracks on 60 heading west). Unfortunately, so many of the 'family farms' have been bought up... Actually the route up through 81, then through Fairview and out through Bouse Junction wouldn't be that bad, scenery wise... I don't think there is the demand for it though, and it'd probably follow the Watonga to Ft. Supply route.
M. Burlison

Small world, I inherited the land from my great uncle, I still have several famiy members in the area. Did you know any Keetons (Mom's maiden name)

[PLANSIT]

Colorado is currently working on the Ports to Plains corridor. No plans to go to OKC.

Ports to Plains CDOT

[mburlison]

Yes, I do not know them well, but I have met some Keetons and my grandparents spoke of them. Email me: michaelburlison@tx.rr.com