The New I-40 (Construction Updates)

[jn1780]

I took the new crosstown home tonight. Of course, it is a spectacular improvement on the old piece of $#!t. There's a little "correction glitch" about 300 yards west of the Penn bridge that appears totally unnecessary. How can a project in the making for so long, need a three foot swerve in the middle of an otherwise uninterrupted stretch of highway? I'm hoping that it's just the way the stripes are painted. Didn't have time to look at the details since everyone was braking for the pedestrian bridge!
All in all, it is beautiful. If that seems like a strong word, then you've never driven the existing crosstown.

300 yards west of Penn? Yeah, thats just where westbound and eastbound diverge after sharing the eastbound side. The pavement markings from I-44 to Penn is all temporary. The amazing thing is the Skydance bridge is causing more of a bottle neck from people breaking and looking at it.

Edit: Looks like Snowman beat me to it. lol

[OKCisOK4me]

Drove and filmed it tonight expecting the bridge to be all lit but it wasn't! Disappointed for that, but the drive was nice!

[shawnw]

You beat me to it. I was just about to say I took it tonight, filming, and expecting to see a lit up bridge, only to be disappointed.

[SSEiYah]

Here is a video of the old bridge/crosstown for future reference...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQXhK...e=related&hd=1

[jn1780]

Drove and filmed it tonight expecting the bridge to be all lit but it wasn't! Disappointed for that, but the drive was nice!

Based on how people reacted today when they first saw the bridge, Im glad they don't have it lit on a full time basis yet. Lets people adjust to the new scenery before throwing in another wow factor.

[Bellaboo]

Drove it today at 7:20. It was a 15 - mph grind until Penn and Western, with half of the traffic getting off at those off ramps. Hardly anyone got off on Shields. You pick up an extra lane at the Penn exit so it actually picked up. The Skydance bridge is an incredible beast to drive under.....it has the WOW factor going on. The speed picked up to 65 after Western, and the East end was no issue. I also like the boathouse view......

[lasomeday]

HUGE FAILURE!

Two off ramps for all of downtown a mile apart. Traffic was backed up for miles!

Also they have four lanes merging into three as I-40 and I-44 merge. I almost got in a huge wreck. Luckily I swerved as everyone slammed on their breaks.

This road is so poorly planned. How do they expect to have less lanes work? Also only one real exit for the downtown workforce! Traffic was horrible! I am calling ODOT to compain. This is a huge nightmare and there will be tons of wrecks. I know if I get in a wreck ODOT will be hearing from my lawyers!

[Of Sound Mind]

I know if I get in a wreck ODOT will be hearing from my lawyers!

Good luck with that.

[lasomeday]

Just talked to the people. Paul Green is the man that is at fault! 580-336-7340.

You obviously haven't dealt with me or messed with my truck!

[Of Sound Mind]

You obviously haven't dealt with me or messed with my truck!

That's true, but good luck with getting any kind of legal settlement or judgment against ODOT based on your reasoning above.

[oneforone]

If you were to win a case they would pay you anytime between the date of the judgement and the 2nd week of never. People like you are the reason why Oklahoma needs to become a zero liability state. Everyone would still carry insurance expect you would insure yourself, your vehicle, property inside that vehicle and those riding with you instead of buying insurance to protect everyone else on the road from your actions.

I don't care how nice your car or truck at the end of the day as far as the courts are concerned it's property. Property can be replaced people can't.

The new I-40 layout is going to be a continuing headache for the next year or so. There is still a ton of work to be completed in regards to tie ins and re-routing. They have several fly over ramps to build for the new boulevard. They have to finish the the Agnew Bridge, the west bound overpass at Agnew and few other things.

Let's just be thankful the days of driving on the old rickety elevated section are almost over. I am glad one side is open now. I can patiently wait for the other side will be open in a few more weeks.

[lasomeday]

If you were to win a case they would pay you anytime between the date of the judgement and the 2nd week of never. People like you are the reason why Oklahoma needs to become a zero liability state. Everyone would still carry insurance expect you would insure yourself, your vehicle, property inside that vehicle and those riding with you instead of buying insurance to protect everyone else on the road from your actions.

I don't care how nice your car or truck at the end of the day as far as the courts are concerned it's property. Property can be replaced people can't.

The new I-40 layout is going to be a continuing headache for the next year or so. There is still a ton of work to be completed in regards to tie ins and re-routing. They have several fly over ramps to build for the new boulevard. They have to finish the the Agnew Bridge, the west bound overpass at Agnew and few other things.

Let's just be thankful the days of driving on the old rickety elevated section are almost over. I am glad one side is open now. I can patiently wait for the other side will be open in a few more weeks.

Yeah, they moved the highway too early. They will be sued if someone dies. It is so dangerous the way they have it set up. You drive it during morning rush hour to downtown and tell me how you feel when you are done. Then you will understand!

[Bellaboo]

I think when people figure it out that they can get off on Shields instead of Western to access downtown, it will be much better. This was the first day, so it's bound to get better when folks get familiar. It is a definite problem of merging 4 lanes into 3 at the west end from I-44 & 40.

[BoulderSooner]

Yeah, they moved the highway too early. They will be sued if someone dies. It is so dangerous the way they have it set up. You drive it during morning rush hour to downtown and tell me how you feel when you are done. Then you will understand!

they moved it at the correct time ... the old highway was in the way of the work the are now starting ...

[oneforone]

I am willing to be the new late out will be confusing people for the next year or two. Especially the folks that legal matters are the only thing that ever bring them to downtown. I am glad they are opening it in stages so people can adjust. If they waited until the whole thing was finished you would see gridlock and traffic accidents everywhere because people would think they can go the same way they use to. This project has been going for quiet a long time. If you didn't take a minute or two like the rest of us did to study it and figure out what changed and what route you need to use, you have nobody to blame but, yourself.

I have funny feeling there is going to be a bad wreck or a near miss because somebody chose not pay attention or they frustrated, or they choose to follow their outdated GPS instead of common sense. I remember an episode of ER where a couple drove into a lake because the GPS said to go that direction.

[lasomeday]

I am willing to be the new late out will be confusing people for the next year or two. Especially the folks that legal matters are the only thing that ever bring them to downtown. I am glad they are opening it in stages so people can adjust. If they waited until the whole thing was finished you would see gridlock and traffic accidents everywhere because people would think they can go the same way they use to. This project has been going for quiet a long time. If you didn't take a minute or two like the rest of us did to study it and figure out what changed and what route you need to use, you have nobody to blame but, yourself.

I have funny feeling there is going to be a bad wreck or a near miss because somebody chose not pay attention or they frustrated, or they choose to follow their outdated GPS instead of common sense. I remember an episode of ER where a couple drove into a lake because the GPS said to go that direction.

You obviously don't work downtown! It is a cluster at bringing 4 lanes to 3 when it has always been 4. That is a huge disaster! Drive it and then post a response. Until then your responses have no credibility. Just you rambling.

[swilki]

You obviously don't work downtown! It is a cluster at bringing 4 lanes to 3 when it has always been 4. That is a huge disaster! Drive it and then post a response. Until then your responses have no credibility. Just you rambling.

isn't this just temporary to allow for the west bound traffic once it is switched over? I thought both directions will have at least 5 or 6 lanes in both directions? But I could be wrong.

How could they go from a roadway built for ~70k cars daily to a new one built to handle ~150k cars daily and decrease the lanes. Just be patient and it will all be just fine in a couple of months.

[lasomeday]

isn't this just temporary to allow for the west bound traffic once it is switched over? I thought both directions will have at least 5 or 6 lanes in both directions? But I could be wrong.

How could they go from a roadway built for ~70k cars daily to a new one built to handle ~150k cars daily and decrease the lanes. Just be patient and it will all be just fine in a couple of months.

Easier said than done. Try driving it during rush hour. It is temporary, but both sides will be at three lanes in a small area creating a massive dangerous bottleneck with no guardrails and a small shoulder with a steep dropoff. You tell me how that will be safe during storms or just when there is traffic.

[catch22]

Yes once westbound is on it's own lanes, all 5 will be open on the eastbound allowing for dedicated lanes from each access point from the junctions.

[Thunder]

lasomeday, you shouldn't attack another poster. He is right, if I understood him correct. As for you, tone it down, please. ODOT are doing what oneforone said and people are not quite used to the change yet. I've had an aunt telling me how confused she was and got lost yesterday.

[oneforone]

Yes, it is temporary because they still have to build the westbound lanes and overpasses from Penn to Agnew. They could not build them until the traffic had been moved to the new section. The old traffic flow was going right through that area.

For your information lasomeday I do drive that area pretty frequently and I do go downtown on pretty regular basis.

Why don't you just go down to ODOT headquarters and finish your temper tantrum there? If you cause a big enough scene maybe throw a few chairs break few tables and scream at the top of your lungs one of those nice guys in brown or grey will stop by and give you a 50,000 volt massage to make you feel better. The fun part comes after the massage you get sterling silver bracelets and free ride in a patrol car to the world famous Hotel Whetsel Downtown and very uptight.

Calm down.... yes, I am only teasing.

[Of Sound Mind]

You obviously don't work downtown! It is a cluster at bringing 4 lanes to 3 when it has always been 4. That is a huge disaster! Drive it and then post a response. Until then your responses have no credibility. Just you rambling.

I do work downtown. I do drive that stretch. It's not fun, but it's far from "a huge disaster." It is less convenient driving that stretch right now, but that's part of being in a growing metro city. I don't find it any more inconvenient than navigating the construction-laden maze of the streets in downtown right now. If it bothers you so much, try another route. You could always drive Reno or 10th Street to get downtown.

While you think others are "just rambling," it seems like you are irrationally ranting.

[okcfollower]

People stop complaining, its not finished yet. And those complaining about exits to downtown...in a few years you can exit on the blvd exit and take that and not take the crosstown

[jn1780]

Yes, how dare ODOT not magically move the eastbound lanes out of the way so they can build the westbound lanes before hand.

Its not really any worse in its temporary configuration than the old I-40 crosstown(better I might argue). People just get into their routines and take awhile to adjust. A lot of people didn't even know about the Shields ramp until yesterday. In the coming days you will see more traffic using the Shields ramp and relieve the Western and Penn ramps.

[Lauri101]

Going EB out of DT to MWC yesterday - Reno to I-40 at Scott Street to AD exit - 14 minutes.
Right now, that's my route of preference until everything opens up.

Is the new way a bit inconvenient - yes; however, I'm not scared of falling through the concrete anymore! All will eventually be good, once the boulevard is finished.

Breathe in, breathe out, move on...