The New I-40 (Construction Updates)

[Larry OKC]

Agnue and Penn do not have full on/off ramp pairs, there is a 1/2 mile difference between the two, lower volume entering/exiting Agnue/Penn than at downtown and there is much more land allocated in that area to make ramps and distributor roads.

Not sure what you mean about "not have full on/off ramp pairs"? The highway sign for the Penn exit states 1/4 mile (right at the Agnew exit). Not sure how there are measuring the distances? But they can be misleading as I noticed more than once the distance to/from Tulsa/OKC is 90 miles in one direction and 120 in the other. LOL Even if it is 1/2 mile, there is the Boulevard exit already halfway constructed in between Agnew & Penn (if evenly split, that brings us back down to 1/4 mile spacing). If the 1/4 mile sign is correct the spacing between the 3 ramps is less than that (1/8th?)

Understand what you are saying about higher traffic count closer to DT (but isn't that situation exacerbated by having 2/3 fewer exits?) As far as land allocation, they could get all the land they needed to do it properly. Right?

[Larry OKC]

That person is outright stupid....what about all of the crumbling support coulmns that are failing.....(maybe they are just not informed of the entire situation with the crosstown)

The writer's idea of keeping it & using it as a business route was nearly identical to the one then Mayor Humphreys suggested after the new I-40 route was selected. This was after he stated that we couldn't afford the million/yr in repairs. Not trying to pick a fight here, but the articles I have read have generally indicated there isn't anything wrong with the support columns and certainly not the steel beams since they are reusing them (got to love the irony of decades old steel from the state's longest "structurally deficient" bridge is being reused to fix hundreds of other "structurally deficient" bridges. That said, the "crumbling" seems to be concentrated on the decking???

[Bellaboo]

Another fact about the crosstown is that it was built with zero shoulder clearance....let a vehicle konk out during rush hour and it's quite the mess. There is no reuse as it currently stands.

[oneforone]

The simple fact that we have outgrown it is reason enough to replace it. Not to mention people get a birds eve view of the blighted areas leading into downtown. The new one encourages downtown traffic and it has a more scenic view of the city. People are going to cry about the lay out until it is completely finished. Then they will suddenly discover that they are getting to work/home faster then when they were using the old crosstown. Just simply because the design eliminates congestion. You can stay in one lane without have to worry about congestion from an exit backing up traffic.

[BB37]

The writer's idea of keeping it & using it as a business route was nearly identical to the one then Mayor Humphreys suggested after the new I-40 route was selected. This was after he stated that we couldn't afford the million/yr in repairs. Not trying to pick a fight here, but the articles I have read have generally indicated there isn't anything wrong with the support columns and certainly not the steel beams since they are reusing them (got to love the irony of decades old steel from the state's longest "structurally deficient" bridge is being reused to fix hundreds of other "structurally deficient" bridges. That said, the "crumbling" seems to be concentrated on the decking???

The "structurally deficient" label has much to do with the 'fracture critical' design of the bridge; if one component fails, that entire section of the bridge could collapse. And a crack WAS found in one of the pier beams in 1989.

The decking was a problem almost from the beginning. Barely 10 years after it opened, the entire thing had to be shut down and redecked. Also, it's been stated that roughly 1,800 of the approximately 1.900 beams will be repurposed, suggesting that at least 100 beams are believed to be unsuitable for further use. All the beams will be checked by engineers before being repurposed.

I agree, the letter writer is clueless. The sooner the old Crosstown is shut down, the safer we'll all be.

[edcrunk]

Whatever happened to the train guy that swore he would stop I-40 from being built?

[rcjunkie]

Whatever happened to the train guy that swore he would stop I-40 from being built?

I think he's at the station waiting on the train.

[Bellaboo]

Whatever happened to the train guy that swore he would stop I-40 from being built?

His name was Tom Elmore I believe.......probably left mad....

[OKCisOK4me]

His name was Tom Elmore I believe.......probably left mad....

Yep, good ol Tom! I miss those days!!

[jn1780]

The first span of eastbound bridge is completely gone now.

[OKCisOK4me]

Hell yeah!

[Pete]

Any idea when the westbound traffic is going to be completely moved to the new freeway?

[metro]

Any idea when the westbound traffic is going to be completely moved to the new freeway?

Mid- February last I heard.

[jn1780]

By the time westbound is opened, the eastern connections will be almost done and the temporary crossover won't be needed anymore. lol.

[windowphobe]

Tom Elmore's still around. Last I heard from him, he was talking about a transportation bill in the House (Rep. James Lankford is on the pertinent committee) that might increase the allowed weight for tractor/trailer rigs, something Elmore has always deplored because of pavement damage.

[oneforone]

Tom Elmore's still around. Last I heard from him, he was talking about a transportation bill in the House (Rep. James Lankford is on the pertinent committee) that might increase the allowed weight for tractor/trailer rigs, something Elmore has always deplored because of pavement damage.

The main problem with that is that Oklahoma's truck inspection system is shoddy at best. Every state I have driven through has scales just inside the border and scales scattered across their interstates. Ours on the other hand spend more time closed then opened.

[metro]

I haven't seen ours opened in years.

[Double Edge]

I worked on one of these new port of entry stations...

After years of inaction by the Legislature and state agencies, the Department of Transportation and the Oklahoma Corporation Commission are planning to construct three of nine proposed state-of-the-art commercial truck weigh stations by late 2010.

<snip>

"This is something that’s been needed for years. We’re going to have the most modern technology available, and we will know what is coming through our state. It’s good for security reasons, and it’s good for the preservation of our roads and highways.”

Oklahoma’s original 50-year-old network of 11 truck weigh stations includes facilities that are in disrepair, and poorly equipped and located, state officials say.

Only four of the facilities are operating. Weigh stations remain open at I-35 near Newkirk; on I-35 near Davis at the Texas border; on I-40 at El Reno and at Boise City in the Panhandle.

Known among agency officials as Port of Entry stations, the new inspection facilities will include weigh-in-motion sensors that can detect truck weights at 70 mph.

Vehicle registration numbers will be "read” by video cameras, which will be connected to a computer database of commercial truck permits.

"Looking at the database, we’ll be able to see if the truck is permitted appropriately,” ODOT’s Andrews said. "There will be information-sharing at all facilities.”

Read more: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-weighs-it...#ixzz1lFj9hatD

[HangryHippo]

I worked on one of these new port of entry stations...

After years of inaction by the Legislature and state agencies, the Department of Transportation and the Oklahoma Corporation Commission are planning to construct three of nine proposed state-of-the-art commercial truck weigh stations by late 2010.

<snip>

"This is something that’s been needed for years. We’re going to have the most modern technology available, and we will know what is coming through our state. It’s good for security reasons, and it’s good for the preservation of our roads and highways.”

Oklahoma’s original 50-year-old network of 11 truck weigh stations includes facilities that are in disrepair, and poorly equipped and located, state officials say.

Only four of the facilities are operating. Weigh stations remain open at I-35 near Newkirk; on I-35 near Davis at the Texas border; on I-40 at El Reno and at Boise City in the Panhandle.

Known among agency officials as Port of Entry stations, the new inspection facilities will include weigh-in-motion sensors that can detect truck weights at 70 mph.

Vehicle registration numbers will be "read” by video cameras, which will be connected to a computer database of commercial truck permits.

"Looking at the database, we’ll be able to see if the truck is permitted appropriately,” ODOT’s Andrews said. "There will be information-sharing at all facilities.”

Read more: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-weighs-it...#ixzz1lFj9hatD

What is the status of the new port of entry stations? Have any of the new facilities been constructed?

[workman45]

Clicked the link, read the headline and then nothing but blank after that.

[Double Edge]

Weird. Scroll down and click page 2. Looks like page one is all ads except for the headline. Or see if this link works: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-weighs-it...365780/?page=2

[OKCisOK4me]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boNy...e_gdata_player

Removal of the old east side I-40 steel beams.

[Bellaboo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boNy...e_gdata_player

Removal of the old east side I-40 steel beams.

That is great that they can re-purpose these...

[oneforone]

I know they may not be able to use all them for bridge repairs but, would these be useful building 1-3 story structures. County and city governments across the state are cash strapped and need to build everything from community centers, to court houses to jails and prisons. It would be cool if they could reuse these in 1-3 story structures. I would think if these beams were handing thousands of pounds of moving vehicles they would do okay for at least a 1-3 story structure. The wait of people furniture and fixtures is going to be considerably less.

[Bellaboo]

Just a couple of weeks ago, there was an article in DOK that stated they are using 1,800 of the 1,900 beams for county bridges...each beam value was listed at $8,000,and each county bridge would use 5 beams each. Not sure what they are doing with the other 100 beams....even though Traber on the sports animal said a movie set was going to destroy part of the bridge for a movie.....I've heard nothing official on this though.