I240 Revitalization Efforts

[traxx]

I'm really not trying to highjack this thread, but as long as we're on teh PPT subject... This is a few years old but I try to point people to it because it has good design ideas. http://www.telecomassociation.com/ad...sentations.pdf

[MWCGuy]

This may have been mentioned already in another thread. The Department of Public Safety is moving the Driver's License Exam Center from Troop A Headquarters to the old Bob Moore Dealership at 240 and 35 where they have been processing/storing new and retired OHP fleet vehicles. This should speed up the process and provide more space for people waiting in line for driver's license testing.

[ljbab728]

This may have been mentioned already in another thread. The Department of Public Safety is moving the Driver's License Exam Center from Troop A Headquarters to the old Bob Moore Dealership at 240 and 35 where they have been processing/storing new and retired OHP fleet vehicles. This should speed up the process and provide more space for people waiting in line for driver's license testing.

I'm not sure that will have any affect on I240 revitalization but I hope it helps with driver's license exam issues.

[Architect2010]

I'm not sure that will have any affect on I240 revitalization but I hope it helps with driver's license exam issues.

Well it does put the vacant dealership to more use than car storage. Another building not sitting empty and underutilized.

[bombermwc]

And if it's going to be there until the interchange on that side is done, then they'll get like 10 years out of it anyway right?

[Plutonic Panda]

Not sure if this has been posted before.

Some cool concepts:







The new interchange to be built: I-240/I-35



They still have the damn cloverleafs at two ramps. Very annoying. I hope they might change this, but I'm very doubtful. This just sucks though. I just wish ODOT would get with the program and build all flyovers.

Granted, I still think the highway should be reconfigured to this: 8 lanes, cement, have every other ramp removed and more limited access, reconstruct the service roads in cement and continue the over the interchange, add dual left turn lanes, right turn lane, add 10 ft. sidewalks for ped and bikes. I would not support bike lanes on the service roads.

Anyways, here is the PDF file: http://www.okc.gov/planning/envision240/envision240.pdf

I believe also heard from Steve somewhere, that ODOT will be releasing its new 8 year plan on Monday, will be interesting to see that.

[SoonerDave]

Loathe the traffic circles.

What gets me is that, as a kid, we had the Classen traffic circle that became a nightmare of accidents and congestion, and the wisdom finally emerged that while they (circles) were pretty, they weren't very practical, and tore it out. Now we're forgetting what we've learned and talking about putting them back in. Alas.

[SoonerDave]

So do I see in that diagram that I-240 is going to be rebuilt to go above Shields Blvd??

I just wish they'd kill off the eastbound on-ramp to I-240 from Shields RIGHT NOW. Its a prime source of the rush-hour accidents there.

[BoulderSooner]

Loathe the traffic circles.

What gets me is that, as a kid, we had the Classen traffic circle that became a nightmare of accidents and congestion, and the wisdom finally emerged that while they (circles) were pretty, they weren't very practical, and tore it out. Now we're forgetting what we've learned and talking about putting them back in. Alas.

that is an apples and oranges comparison

[HangryHippo]

The new interchange to be built: I-240/I-35



They still have the damn cloverleafs at two ramps. Very annoying. I hope they might change this, but I'm very doubtful. This just sucks though. I just wish ODOT would get with the program and build all flyovers.

Granted, I still think the highway should be reconfigured to this: 8 lanes, cement, have every other ramp removed and more limited access, reconstruct the service roads in cement and continue the over the interchange, add dual left turn lanes, right turn lane, add 10 ft. sidewalks for ped and bikes. I would not support bike lanes on the service roads.

Anyways, here is the PDF file: http://www.okc.gov/planning/envision240/envision240.pdf

I believe also heard from Steve somewhere, that ODOT will be releasing its new 8 year plan on Monday, will be interesting to see that.

They're still going to use the cloverleaf ramps?? Honest to god, what a joke.

[bchris02]

So I am guessing this isn't even going to be a stack interchange?

[OKVision4U]

Yes, that is the ODOT that says "we can't have flyovers because of freezing roads and they want to limit them because of safety". I told them that in OKC, we only have a handful of poor / icy conditions each year, but we have to drive on your treachorous engineering for 365 days a year, 24/7. Now what is the SAFETY issue?

[BoulderSooner]

They're still going to use the cloverleaf ramps?? Honest to god, what a joke.

2 of them that feed on to ramps not the interstate .. so not a joke

[adaniel]

Hybrid cloverleaf-flyover interchanges have been built in quite a few cities and are very safe and efficient, provided that the cloverleaf portion of the interchange serves lower traffic ramps and have dedicated lanes for merging (so no weaving). Not everything needs to be a four layer stack, and given the piecemeal way ODOT is funded it would be 2030 before one would be built here.

[HangryHippo]

2 of them that feed on to ramps not the interstate .. so not a joke

Oh, pardon me. You're right. Not a joke.

[OKVision4U]

2 of them that feed on to ramps not the interstate .. so not a joke

No, look again. The loop from E bound 240 to N bound 35 is still the major problem in congestion.

[Plutonic Panda]

They're still going to use the cloverleaf ramps?? Honest to god, what a joke.

I know, I'm still not quite sure if they are really going to do that. Nearly every city our size and bigger is going to flyovers and we're still going back to the cloverleafs. It's insanity. ODOT really needs help.

[Plutonic Panda]

Yes, that is the ODOT that says "we can't have flyovers because of freezing roads and they want to limit them because of safety". I told them that in OKC, we only have a handful of poor / icy conditions each year, but we have to drive on your treachorous engineering for 365 days a year, 24/7. Now what is the SAFETY issue?

Agreed, from what I've seen, Denver has tons of 5 stack interchanges and we can't do that here in OKC, in a subtropical climate???? Thats a new one.

[Plutonic Panda]

2 of them that feed on to ramps not the interstate .. so not a joke

It is a joke, cloverleafs are outdated and inefficient designs. That is one thing I love about Dallas is the interchanges are a breeze. You don't even really have to slow down at all going through them.

[Plutonic Panda]

Hybrid cloverleaf-flyover interchanges have been built in quite a few cities and are very safe and efficient, provided that the cloverleaf portion of the interchange serves lower traffic ramps and have dedicated lanes for merging (so no weaving). Not everything needs to be a four layer stack, and given the piecemeal way ODOT is funded it would be 2030 before one would be built here.

Well, they need to change the way they fund it then, because this is ridiculous.

[Plutonic Panda]

So I am guessing this isn't even going to be a stack interchange?

Unfortunately not. Tulsa will probably decide to build one first lol

[ljbab728]

It is a joke, cloverleafs are outdated and inefficient designs. That is one thing I love about Dallas is the interchanges are a breeze. You don't even really have to slow down at all going through them.

Plupan, that's because you can't go more than 5 MPH already on most DFW freeways. LOL

[bchris02]

Unfortunately not. Tulsa will probably decide to build one first lol

I don't think Tulsa could at the moment, because its not the city that determines these things. All the interchange designs are in the hands of ODOT. The only way Tulsa is getting a major stack interchange is if there is a change of ODOT policy and the first project after the change happens to be in Tulsa.

This isn't just an Oklahoma thing though. North Carolina only has one four-level stack in the state and it was built fairly recently in Charlotte. Tennessee on the other hand has them everywhere. Driving through Nashville on I-40 makes me think of Texas cities because of how the freeways are built. Tennessee's transportation department I believe gets far more funding and it shows.

So back onto this interchange, is it at least going to be three-levels or will it be ground level like the current interchange?

[bchris02]

Plupan, that's because you can't go more than 5 MPH already on most DFW freeways. LOL

I disagree. Dallas freeways, when not clogged, actually move much faster than OKC freeways do. It's custom there to drive 10-15 mph over the speed limit vs 5 under the limit in OKC.

[Plutonic Panda]

Plupan, that's because you can't go more than 5 MPH already on most DFW freeways. LOL

Well, that's only true during rush hour, but imagine how worse it would be if they were still all cloverleafs? Dallas still has plenty of cloverleaf interchanges, but the 5 stack interchanges are breathtaking and magnificent, so efficient and ease of use.

I was doing 90MPH and still had a few people passing me on the North Dallas Tollway. I loved it!!!!!!