OKC Boulevard

[rtz]

Can anyone get a picture of the new track over the new bridge?

[Buffalo Bill]

Can anyone get a picture of the new track over the new bridge?

[jn1780]

Looks like only a couple of months away before the eastern connections are open.

[OKCisOK4me]

That's a great shot. It makes me wonder if this area will stay at 4 tracks.

[rte66man]

That's a great shot. It makes me wonder if this area will stay at 4 tracks.

It better. 2 sidings for the station and 2 mains for BNSF.

[rezman]

mispost... Sorry.

[rezman]

I don't know if there is any legal basis to this, but I always assumed that if you get in an accident while going faster than the suggested speed you could end up with an "operating a vehicle in a manner unreasonable and improper" ticket.

Or, "excessive speed for existing conditions"

[d-usa]

Or, "excessive speed for existing conditions"

That's the one I was thinking about, thanks.

[Buffalo Bill]

It better. 2 sidings for the station and 2 mains for BNSF.

The bridge is wide enough for 5. This came from the transit hub study. 2 for freight, 2 for commuter rail, 1 for Amtrac, I believe. The elevated viaduct will need widening for a long way to accommodate this.

[catch22]

That's the one I was thinking about, thanks.

That's a very difficult case to prove. As long as you are below the posted speed limit, I don't think an officer could write you a speeding ticket for exceeding a recommended speed.

[baralheia]

The 2011 Intermodal Transportation Hub Master Plan from 2011 calls for 5 tracks at the station - one for Amtrak, two shared between commuter rail and high speed rail, and two in the middle for freight to bypass the station platforms. There is actually enough space at the station for 6 tracks, and indeed historical photographs show that, at one time, there were 6 tracks served by 2 platforms. When away from the station platforms, commuter, passenger, and freight rail can all share the same rails, so not all of those rails would need to continue south of the Boulevard; they would likely all merge into the two existing tracks by the time they get to the new I-40 Crosstown.

[Urban Pioneer]

You guys are correct about the track spacing. We (transit advocates) had to fight during the bridge design process to ensure that the boulevard bridge is adequately wide enough to support the Santa Fe Station Master Plan. Under the current context, the two "shoo-fly" tracks are supposed to remain in place to serve the hub and allow BNSF flexibility. I haven't studied this in a while and thus cannot commit to the exact width at the Boulevard. There is some pretty generous spacing there at this point though based on historical metrics. ODOT responded well to ensuring a reasonable width between the new retaining walls. However, when one assumes that there will be plat forms, the old east wall of the alignment may be shifted further and the space further flared out to accommodate all of the future infrastructure. All of these plans also assume that BNSF is agreeable to fair and reasonable track separation metric.

[rte66man]

According to the plans (which can be found at
http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/contr...E%20W%20XS.pdf



which clearly shows 4 tracks.

However......



Which shows 5 tracks. I believe the answer can be found here:



It appears that the eastern retaining wall is being moved out to accomodate a 5th track.

[baralheia]

The bridge will only carry 4 tracks. The Bridge "BE" Typical Section sheet (page #144 in the PDF) shows the track arrangement in detail. It looks like there may be room for a fifth track in the middle, but it is not to be constructed as part of this project.

[rte66man]

I didn't say a 5th track was being built, I said the wall was being moved to accommodate one. A 5th track is way outside the scope of the Blvd project.

[Geographer]

My wife and I were in town this weekend up from DFW and were driving near downtown on I-40 when my wife says "Didn't they just tear down the old highway? Why are they building a new one in the same place?" in reference to the "Boulevard" near the canal. I had a good chuckle.

[Ross MacLochness]

I wen't down there south of Harkins the other day and it looked like they even build service roads... What's up with that?

[jn1780]

I wen't down there south of Harkins the other day and it looked like they even build service roads... What's up with that?

Those are extra wide sidewalks.

[Ross MacLochness]

Those are extra wide sidewalks.

Is that sarcasm? if it is haha! If not, there appears to be a sidewalk on the north side but what I'm talking about is on the south side, not both sides (just looked at a video I made when I was there). Looks like a service road: it's sunk into the ground and separated from the blvd by a median. I just don't understand why a city street needs access roads haha..

[KayneMo]

I saw today, on northbound 35, the new exit signs for Oklahoma City Boulevard.

[jn1780]

Is that sarcasm? if it is haha! If not, there appears to be a sidewalk on the north side but what I'm talking about is on the south side, not both sides (just looked at a video I made when I was there). Looks like a service road: it's sunk into the ground and separated from the blvd by a median. I just don't understand why a city street needs access roads haha..

I didn't notice that road there before. Seems to be just for that one awkward area where development won't happen for awhile.

[warreng88]

Is that sarcasm? if it is haha! If not, there appears to be a sidewalk on the north side but what I'm talking about is on the south side, not both sides (just looked at a video I made when I was there). Looks like a service road: it's sunk into the ground and separated from the blvd by a median. I just don't understand why a city street needs access roads haha..

I have been down and looked at it and it is a divided street, east bound and west bound. Maybe you were thinking it would not be divided?

[Ross MacLochness]

I have been down and looked at it and it is a divided street, east bound and west bound. Maybe you were thinking it would not be divided?

I know that the blvd is divided. I remember there being an additional divide and road south of the east bound lanes. Maybe it's 3rd st? If you were to drive south on Oklahoma straight through the intersection, you have to turn right or left on this road.

[Ross MacLochness]

Here is what I'm talking about. These photos are screen grabs from my cell phone video so pardon the poor quality and bad angles. These were taken at the Oklahoma intersection looking eastish. You can see the east bound section of the boulevard as well as the service road; the west bound portion is not visible.

[catch22]

I think that is the road that goes to Rocktown...