Friends for a Better Boulevard

[betts]

Well, in comparison to some of the contentious meetings of the past, it was a pretty standard and subdued public forum. Not really much to report that hasn't already been released and discussed already. Although, the man wanting billboards for the boulevard in Knoxville and Flagstaff was pretty cool. If there is any will left in the Alternative D supporters, that certainly wasn't represented in the public verbal comments section.

I didn't bother to go. I'm tired of listening to platitudes. ODOT is living in the past and they don't listen to th public, so why should I give them the satisfaction of adding my presence to the number of people at the meeting? East Reno looks awful, with all those ramps. They've ruined the entrance to the boathouse dustrict and spoiled the walk along the canal to the river. I have no hope for the rest of the road.

[warreng88]

From the Journal Record:

Downtown diversions: Part of Gaylord Blvd. to close for a year

By: Brian Brus The Journal Record November 14, 2014

OKLAHOMA CITY – A major downtown access route adjacent to the Chesapeake Energy Arena will be shut down for a year beginning Monday, Oklahoma City Hall announced Friday.

Private utility crews and Oklahoma Department of Transportation contractors are scheduled to work on Gaylord Boulevard between Reno Avenue and SW Fourth Street throughout 2015 to relocate utility lines and make other improvements in preparation for the new Oklahoma City Boulevard construction.

That section of Gaylord typically carries about 25,000 vehicles daily, data from the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments shows. Heading south from downtown, the road becomes Shields Boulevard, which provides access to Interstate 40. The Gaylord-Reno Boulevard intersection connects to the Bricktown entertainment district.

Westbound interstate traffic cannot exit at Gaylord/Shields, but eastbound drivers may.

Stuart Chai, director of Oklahoma City’s traffic management division, said he and his staff are working on traffic flow diversion plans to reduce overall effects. Fortunately, there are no businesses operating on those blocks, and they have little cross-traffic at intersections. The most likely rerouting options will send northbound Gaylord traffic west on SW Fourth to Robinson and Harvey avenues, while southbound Gaylord traffic will be detoured east on SW Fifth, Chai said. Fourth and Fifth are both one-way streets.

Drivers can also access downtown via the Western Avenue exit from I-40, the NW Fourth Street exit from Interstate 235 and the Harrison Street exit at I-235.

The construction is not part of Project 180, a streetscaping project that has disrupted downtown traffic for years. Instead, the Gaylord work is related to development of a new boulevard through the heart of the city where the old I-40 Crosstown used to be before the state Department of Transportation moved it closer to the Oklahoma River. Transportation Department spokesman Cole Hackett was unable to provide a breakdown of costs specific to the $80 million boulevard and nearby ramp areas.

Chai said plans for that section of Gaylord call for significant excavation – 8 or 9 feet – to allow for a bridge over the boulevard. The boulevard is expected to be completed in 2016.

[ChaseDweller]

So does this include actually building the intersection with the Boulevard? Or are they going to close it again in 2016 to build that and the tunnel under the rail tracks?

[warreng88]

So does this include actually building the intersection with the Boulevard? Or are they going to close it again in 2016 to build that and the tunnel under the rail tracks?

I would think the right and best way to do it would be dig down and build a bridge over at the same time, but when has anything ODOT has ever done made sense?

[Urbanized]

Brian got that last paragraph wrong, or at least it is misleading. This is not for a bridge over the boulevard, unless you are talking about a RAILROAD bridge. Most folks are having a hard time visualizing what is going on there, but suffice to say EK Gaylord will depress south of Reno to meet the boulevard, which will punch through the rail viaduct, and the return to grade at 4th.

[warreng88]

Brian got that last paragraph wrong, or at least it is misleading. This is not for a bridge over the boulevard, unless you are talking about a RAILROAD bridge. Most folks are having a hard time visualizing what is going on there, but suffice to say EK Gaylord will depress south of Reno to meet the boulevard, which will punch through the rail viaduct, and the return to grade at 4th.

I thought the Boulevard would depress to go below the rail viaduct and EK Gaylord would stay about where it is, maybe a little higher?

[warreng88]

I thought the Boulevard would depress to go below the rail viaduct and EK Gaylord would stay about where it is, maybe a little higher?

So, it looks like the Railroad viaduct will kind of just be rebuilt like the other ones going in to BT and it will be a normal intersection. At least that is what I can see from 0:45 in this video:

Oklahoma Transportation Department proposes an OKC Boulevard plan aligned with city's goals | NewsOK.com

[Urbanized]

I thought the Boulevard would depress to go below the rail viaduct and EK Gaylord would stay about where it is, maybe a little higher?

So how would the two intersect? Cloverleaf? No, EK Gaylord is being depressed to join the Boulevard at its level after it comes under the viaduct.

[warreng88]

So how would the two intersect? Cloverleaf? No, EK Gaylord is being depressed to join the Boulevard at its level after it comes under the viaduct.

Look at my post right after this one. The renderings show it will be a normal intersection. Not sure what is off here.

[Urbanized]

And I'm sorry, I promise I'm not trying to be a smartass. This just illustrates my point that most people - even those who are better informed on downtown stuff like yourself - don't fully understand how that intersection is being reconstructed. I got my education on the matter about 5 years ago when engineers were exploring the practicality of extending the canal into the CBD and Central Park area pre-MAPS 3 and figured out that it would have to come through at SW 4th to accommodate the very intersection we are discussing.

[Urbanized]

Look at my post right after this one. The renderings show it will be a normal intersection. Not sure what is off here.

Yes, it will be a normal intersection...about 8'-9' below the current grade of EK Gaylord. The passage through the viaduct will have considerably more clearance than the Main, Sheridan, Reno or SW 4th underpasses to accommodate modern requirements.

That's why I'm saying Brian's wording is misleading. There is no bridge being built.

[warreng88]

And I'm sorry, I promise I'm not trying to be a smartass. This just illustrates my point that most people - even those who are better informed on downtown stuff like yourself - don't fully understand how that intersection is being reconstructed. I got my education on the matter about 5 years ago when engineers were exploring the practicality of extending the canal into the CBD and Central Park area pre-MAPS 3 and figured out that it would have to come through at SW 4th to accommodate the very intersection we are discussing.

Yes, it will be a normal intersection...about 8'-9' below the current grade of EK Gaylord. The passage through the viaduct will have considerably more clearance than the Main, Sheridan, Reno or SW 4th underpasses to accommodate modern requirements.

That's why I'm saying Brian's wording is misleading. There is no bridge being built.

Got it. No hard feelings, just trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

[jn1780]

So does this include actually building the intersection with the Boulevard? Or are they going to close it again in 2016 to build that and the tunnel under the rail tracks?

Currently its just utility relocation, but the railroad bridge goes out for bid in January with other parts also going out for bid next year. Assuming nothing changes, but it sounds like ODOT is done talking about it.

[warreng88]

And I'm sorry, I promise I'm not trying to be a smartass. This just illustrates my point that most people - even those who are better informed on downtown stuff like yourself - don't fully understand how that intersection is being reconstructed. I got my education on the matter about 5 years ago when engineers were exploring the practicality of extending the canal into the CBD and Central Park area pre-MAPS 3 and figured out that it would have to come through at SW 4th to accommodate the very intersection we are discussing.

Just proves your point better:

From Steve's article:

Gaylord Boulevard between Reno Avenue and SW 4 was closed Monday and is not set to reopen until late 2015. Private utility crews and Transportation Department contractors will be relocating lines and preparing for construction of an overpass at the BNSF Railway Viaduct for the new boulevard as it will extend west from Bricktown. Northbound Gaylord Boulevard traffic exiting from I-40 is being detoured to SW 4 with access to downtown provided on Robinson, Harvey, Hudson or Walker Avenues. Southbound Gaylord Boulevard traffic will be detoured from Reno Avenue to SW 5, then back to Gaylord Boulevard to provide access to Interstate 40.

For work to progress on Oklahoma City boulevard, critical connection is closed | News OK

[Urbanized]

You're right that it illustrates the point. Right now the public (and even mostly-informed people) are hazy on exactly what is going on at that intersection, have a tough time envisioning it, and it doesn't help that some of the descriptions in the media have been a little bit inexact.

Probably the BEST description I can think of right now instead of "overpass" is "railroad underpass." Splitting hairs maybe, but gives people a much better idea of what is going on there.

Edit: on further examination it is in the body of the article.

[soondoc]

Is this correct that this thing is going to take several years to build? That is going to affect many businesses DT, traffic to the Peake, etc. No offense, but they could speed this up for sure, that seems a little ridiculous. Not being negative but ODOT needs to be held accountable for that. This wouldn't happen in other states so why is it happening here. If this was in the DFW area, this thing would be done with in a year.

[musg8411]

Is this correct that this thing is going to take several years to build? That is going to affect many businesses DT, traffic to the Peake, etc. No offense, but they could speed this up for sure, that seems a little ridiculous. Not being negative but ODOT needs to be held accountable for that. This wouldn't happen in other states so why is it happening here. If this was in the DFW area, this thing would be done with in a year.

Yeah, Norman did a pretty good job with the Robinson / HWY 77 mess with the railroad tracks a couple years ago. Could they not do something similar?

[Anonymous.]

Punching through and digging underneath the railroad is a massive project, it is definitely going to take a long time. We are basically (unfortunately) talking about reconstructing a portion of I-40 underground and under an active rail line.

[catcherinthewry]

Yeah, Norman did a pretty good job with the Robinson / HWY 77 mess with the railroad tracks a couple years ago.

Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but that seemed to take quite a while itself.

[kevinpate]

Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but that seemed to take quite a while itself.

you don't remember wrong, but they did make it about as painless as it could be.

[musg8411]

Norman did take awhile and I imagine it was expensive. They basically had to build temporary tracks and a road. Maybe this was a decision between one year without building temporary roads, tracks, etc. or take much longer and lessen the burden on traffic. Which surprisingly as it appears from the surface they chose the cheaper route. Though cheap will come with lots of traffic pain.

[onthestrip]

Is there anywhere that has the updated alternative C blvd, with intersections at Lee and Shartel? ODOT's website still has the originals with no bike lane or intersection changes.

[ljbab728]

Steve's latest article isn't available yet on the mobile link but the video he does gives a fantastic perspective on what is forthcoming with the boulevard.

http://www.oklahoman.com/article/5369322?embargo=1

[Plutonic Panda]

Steve's latest article isn't available yet on the mobile link but the video he does gives a fantastic perspective on what is forthcoming with the boulevard.

http://www.oklahoman.com/article/5369322?embargo=1

Downtown boulevard will alter travel, development in Oklahoma City | NewsOK.com

[ljbab728]

Downtown boulevard will alter travel, development in Oklahoma City | NewsOK.com

Thanks, plupan. It must have come on line about one minute after I posted.

It is a very informative video though.