The New I-40 (Construction Updates)

[Dubya61]

Well, lets see. Starting back in the '70s, when they began to re-do the I-40 / I-35 interchange ...

I think it's been a continuous project since then.

I'd hate to extrapolate a termination point.

[Spartan]

It will take the end of the world to complete this project.

[jn1780]

So how many more years until I40 is really finished?

If were talking about the crosstown only, then probably six months to a year with the boulevard taking an additional year. The west end is making good progress. Their about ready to deck the bridges and have started laying things out for the main roadway so I don't see that taking more than six months.


Other than that, there are some off-ramps and on-ramps that will branch off from I-235 and I-40 going to and from the boulevard that need to be built . The southbound I-235 off-ramp to the boulevard will require a series of piers once they get started on that .

[jn1780]

It will take the end of the world to complete this project.

I-40 could be mostly done by December, 2012. LOL

[jn1780]

I guess I'll put this here since, technically, it ties into the new I-40. Future ramps for the west interchange to connect to the future boulevard:


Shot this evening.

If ODOT gets their way, this is what Western to Walker will consist of.

[OKCisOK4me]

So how many more years until I40 is really finished?

Technically speaking, there's not much left at all, and every time I drive by and take a look (1-1 1/2 weeks) they've made some incredible improvements. Look for the westbound over Agnew to be completed and switched over no later than the end of this year. I'd assume the same with the east end. Now if it's the ramps that connect to the future boulevard you're referring to, then as previously stated, that would be sometime in 2014.

[okcpulse]

Well, lets see. Starting back in the '70s, when they began to re-do the I-40 / I-35 interchange ...

I think it's been a continuous project since then.

I'd hate to extrapolate a termination point.

The I-35/I-40 interchange (Ft. Smith Junction) started in 1987, not the late 1970s.

[Larry OKC]

I don't have the article handy but it came out after the new was opened to traffic and they said it will be several years before it is "completed". The gist of it was, just because it is open to traffic in both directions isn't the end but the beginning of traffic headaches for motorists (since up to this point, the work was being done out of sight/out of mind to most.

[Bellaboo]

They are laying the concrete lanes on the West end to tie into I-44 as of today. Looked as if one lane is pretty well done between the bridge over May Ave to I-44.

[jn1780]

I don't get why they never finished eastbound on the east end. Must be something they plan on backtracking and doing once the westbound ramps are done.

[Bellaboo]

I noticed yesterday the bridge where the boulevard ties back into I-40 Westbound, is getting the big concrete spanning beams set. They had several spans set near Agnew.

[Bellaboo]

Last night I noticed they probably have 15 or 20 of those big beams set that span from the large pillers on the West end. They are currently building about 8 pillers for the east bridge coming into Bricktown. I can see both ends (I-40 tie in) completed by sometime by an October timeframe.

[Bellaboo]

They were making a big 2 lanes wide concrete pour for the WB lanes from Agnew to May this evening. It took them a week or so to put the rebar down for that mile, hopefully they can get the concrete finished by tomorrow.

[jn1780]

They were making a big 2 lanes wide concrete pour for the WB lanes from Agnew to May this evening. It took them a week or so to put the rebar down for that mile, hopefully they can get the concrete finished by tomorrow.

It looks like the two westbound bridges will be the last things to be completed though. I don't think they even starting decking them yet.

[Bellaboo]

I went through at 7:00 this morning and they had already started placing the cement on the westbound lanes. They didn't get as far last night as I thought they would, but the weather seems to be cooperating and maybe today they'll have it down to May.

[jedicurt]

looks like the weather will cooperate with them until perhaps friday... hopefully they can get a lot done between now and then

[Plutonic Panda]

Are they going to redo the 44/Hefner Parkway interchange? If they are, is there any chance they would move all the exits to the right side of the highway and place fly overs like Dallas?That would be badazz!!!

[OKCisOK4me]

Are they going to redo the 44/Hefner Parkway interchange? If they are, is there any chance they would move all the exits to the right side of the highway and place fly overs like Dallas?That would be badazz!!!

Not to get too far off topic here, but I don't know why they can't. Having a major interstate like I-44 narrow to one lane as it merges in with 74 is ridiculous. Honestly it should be that the exit on 74 south to I-44 east should be an exit only lane leaving two through lanes on 74 south to accommodate 2 thru lanes or 4 lanes all together when they merge together. That flyover bridge gets soooooo backed up at night it's stupid.

[jn1780]

Are they going to redo the 44/Hefner Parkway interchange? If they are, is there any chance they would move all the exits to the right side of the highway and place fly overs like Dallas?That would be badazz!!!

Nope, not anytime soon.

[bombermwc]

That's one of those junctions that you have to compare the traffic flow from each direction. At the time of construction, they felt there would be more traffic continuing onto 74 rather than curving to stay on 44...and usually on northbound, that's correct. For southbound, you have to also balance that flow with the 50th onramp and the 44 traffic. With that many lanes, you can't have all of them have their own lane on the merge...you'd have a 10 lane freeway right there and lord knows there isn't room for that. But what you could do is run the 44 traffic southbound on an inside flyover and leave the onramp traffic on the outside. Make the outside onramp an exit only for the next exit so it's technically not a through lane, but doesn't force as much "in-the-through-lane" congestion....i'm not sure i made that make sense?? That way you could keep 3 lanes of traffic on 74, and then have 44 be 5. If you can't keep 5 going, then trail one outside lane off as another exit only. The downside there is the outside traffic ends up making a lot of lane changes.

I'm not traffic designer, but it's definitely one of those junctions that could stand to be adjusted....the 44/39th/74 thing is always confusing and messy.

[Plutonic Panda]

Yeah I hear you, I just wish the people behind the designs of these highways(esp. interchanges) would design them more like Dallas freeways. But I guess that will come in time and as traffic continues to grow in OKC seeing as Dallas is a much larger city. But I love the new I-40 and how it just makes OKC seems like a bigger city for people traveling through. BTW are they going to redo the 100% of the I-40/Hefner Parkway junction or just part of it?

[OKCisOK4me]

Yeah I hear you, I just wish the people behind the designs of these highways(esp. interchanges) would design them more like Dallas freeways. But I guess that will come in time and as traffic continues to grow in OKC seeing as Dallas is a much larger city. But I love the new I-40 and how it just makes OKC seems like a bigger city for people traveling through. BTW are they going to redo the 100% of the I-40/Hefner Parkway junction or just part of it?

What are you talking about? You mean I-40/I-44 where Mathis Brothers is on the NW corner? I don't think they'll ever touch this one either, but again, they need to. It needs to be widened to three thru lanes in all directions as it is highly congested during those rush hours.

That's one of those junctions that you have to compare the traffic flow from each direction. At the time of construction, they felt there would be more traffic continuing onto 74 rather than curving to stay on 44

You have to remember that when this interchange was built, 74 only existed to just north of Northwest Expressway where it dead ended or merged into Portland which was a 2 or 4 lane street with stoplights every mile. Hefner Parkway was built in the late 1980's. The previous mentioned interchange has been there long before that kind of 74 traffic flow was available.

Totally getting this topic off subject...I-40 please.

[jn1780]

What are you talking about? You mean I-40/I-44 where Mathis Brothers is on the NW corner? I don't think they'll ever touch this one either, but again, they need to. It needs to be widened to three thru lanes in all directions as it is highly congested during those rush hours.

There are plans to do this at the tail end of the eight year plan.

[OKCisOK4me]

There are plans to do this at the tail end of the eight year plan.

The current 8 year plan? Never seen that. Link please?

[jn1780]

]

The current 8 year plan? Never seen that. Link please?

http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/cwp-8...y2012-2019.pdf
FFY 2019, pg. 99 I think.