The New I-40 (Construction Updates)

[Just the facts]

Whats the elevated stretch of road curving toward the current Crosstown between Penn and Agnew/Villa?

That will be on and off ramps to the new replacement boulevard. I will withhold comment on my opinions of new boulevard.

[okcustu]

That will be on and off ramps to the new replacement boulevard. I will withhold comment on my opinions of new boulevard.

So, if it's for the new boulevard it'll be dangling in mid-air for a few more years

[Just the facts]

So, if it's for the new boulevard it'll be dangling in mid-air for a few more years

That is a good question. I guess for awhile they will be off ramps to nowhere.

[Larry OKC]

It will look odd for sure but remember one of the first projects of the relocation was the "Bridge over nothing". They built the bridge over the yet to be started, almost-but-not-quite Canal extension that has yet to be built. Not saying it doesn't make sense, obviously easier to do it before a Canal is underneath it to get in the way.

[OKCisOK4me]

That will be on and off ramps to the new replacement boulevard. I will withhold comment on my opinions of new boulevard.

That will be just the eastbound ramp toward the future boulevard.

[mcca7596]

I suppose westbound on the boulevard will just merge into the existing I-40?

[Snowman]

I suppose westbound on the boulevard will just merge into the existing I-40?

Yes, from Western to Penn the existing i40 will remain intact, just west of the Penn bridge is where the flyovers will connect.

[OKCisOK4me]

From what I understand, looking at renderings, once the new westbound main thoroughfare of I-40 is opened for business, all of the old I-40 will come down. Then they'll move the earthfill and straighten the UP railroad line out a little more. Then the only thing they'll have to connect to new I-40 is two lanes from the boulevard and construct a new bridge over the relocated railroad right of way.

[Larry OKC]

Moved from another thread...

Sorry, but I disagree Larry. This road is being rebuilt more for local traffic than pass through traffic. It's nice to have a view from the freeway but I would much prefer that we have views for those not on the freeway who don't want to look at cars.

Wish i had it handy but it was either in an article or ODOT piece that said the vast majority (95%) of the traffic is of the "pass thru" variety. IMO, letting those people directly see your city is critical. Having the Boulevard (THE "Gateway" into DT) or the Core to Shore/MAPS 3 Park, isn't going to be very effective if you don't get folks off the highway. We apparently didn't have any say about it no longer being elevated and being built partially below grade (originally, it was supposed to have been completely below grade) And, yes, we are building the Iconic Skydance bridge (or we can hope it is, we still haven't seen the revised renderings by those that said it looks even better) to help lure them off (but the Council banned billboards along the new stretch too). This was especially odd since the Mayor even stated we do a terrible job of pulling people off the road.

Multiple steps back with it being partially below grade & the retaining/sound walls.
Step forward with the Bridge.
Step back on the billboard ban.

let them SEE all of the improvements...the Park, Landrun Monument, River & Boathouse Row etc etc etc. That is all I am trying to say.

[ljbab728]

let them SEE all of the improvements...the Park, Landrun Monument, River & Boathouse Row etc etc etc. That is all I am trying to say.

I'm all for luring tourists off the freeway into Downtown but you can't just design a freeway based on that alone and you have to take asthetics into account as well. We could have built another elevated freeway and everyone would have a great view. I haven't seen your statistics about 95% of traffic being passthrough so I can't rule it out but if that was true we would have absolutely no need for a 10 lane design. The freeway design in Clinton would work just as well.

[okcustu]

Is the I-235/35 junction going to be proper interchange? Meaning it won't dump merging traffic in the left lane, or have traffic merging from both sides.

[Larry OKC]

I'm all for luring tourists off the freeway into Downtown but you can't just design a freeway based on that alone and you have to take asthetics into account as well. We could have built another elevated freeway and everyone would have a great view. I haven't seen your statistics about 95% of traffic being passthrough so I can't rule it out but if that was true we would have absolutely no need for a 10 lane design. The freeway design in Clinton would work just as well.

i was surprised by the percentage too and that is probably why it stuck in my head. If/when i run across it again i will post it to see if I may have misconstrued something. IIRC, in "pass through" it was including the out of state people as well as "locals" (like folks out in Yukon getting to Midwest City without getting off into DT)...essentially those that get on and off outside of the connecting "junctions"

[Larry OKC]

For some reason got an error message when trying to edit the prior post so here is the info I was going to add to it
Part of the 10 lanes "needed" is they are planning for future traffic count growth.
http://www.40forward.com/project_overview/

Originally built in 1965, the I-40 Crosstown currently carries approximately 120,000 vehicles per day, nearly 50,000 over the intended capacity of 76,000. The new highway, designed to be a combination of ground-level and semi-depressed roadway, will carry up to 173,000 vehicles per day and replace the elevated thoroughfare presently in place.

Haven't found the 95% quote (Google has failed me so far on this one) but I did find these that state and/or imply a high, unspecified, percentage
http://www.40forward.com/project_ove...pose.aspx...on

...one of the few interstates that stretch from coast to coast. I-40 is not only a major thoroughfare for residents of Oklahoma City, but for all of America. ... it was imperative that Oklahoma take significant steps to build a new highway that meets current needs as well as projections for the future.

That goes along with info that was in the ODOT PDF file that mcca7596 posted:

A high percentage of the traffic on I-40 is through traffic...

(There was also mention of the "Express lanes" discussed earlier)

[semisimple]

Wish i had it handy but it was either in an article or ODOT piece that said the vast majority (95%) of the traffic is of the "pass thru" variety.

The fraction of thru traffic (i.e., not getting off the freeway between I-44 and I-35/235) might be high, but it's not 95%. As seen here, the absolute maximum it could be is about 90% but that's highly unlikely as it assumes no cars were "replaced" over the corridor, i.e., all of the local traffic is accounted for by the difference in traffic counts. Since downtown is a major employment center the number is probably far less and I would be surprised if even 50% of the traffic on the crosstown was thru traffic. Some thru traffic over the crosstown might be of local origin, but before I-40 enters into the urbanized area the volume is 39,000--so I suspect the thru traffic volume on the crosstown segment isn't far off from that.

[Snowman]

The fraction of thru traffic (i.e., not getting off the freeway between I-44 and I-35/235) might be high, but it's not 95%. As seen here, the absolute maximum it could be is about 90% but that's highly unlikely as it assumes no cars were "replaced" over the corridor, i.e., all of the local traffic is accounted for by the difference in traffic counts. Since downtown is a major employment center the number is probably far less and I would be surprised if even 50% of the traffic on the crosstown was thru traffic. Some thru traffic over the crosstown might be of local origin, but before I-40 enters into the urbanized area the volume is 39,000--so I suspect the thru traffic volume on the crosstown segment isn't far off from that.

Their is no way it is as low as 50%, or the road would always be at a stand still during rush hours as the ramps simply can not deal with that much volume.

[Larry OKC]

I may have dreamed it because I haven't been able to find the 95% again, BUT the other ones I did find indicated it was a high percentage which i would presume to be 75% on up. But that is just me.

[Larry OKC]

Awesome!! We might be driving on the I-40 by Feb.-Mar. That would be AMAZING! I HATE driving down the current crosstown!

It may be even sooner than that. In a recent Council meeting, Dennis Clowers, OKC Public Works Director, stated because of the ODOT incentives it "could be completed as early as late December/early January." Then the City Manager mentioned that ODOT was willing to pay for those incentives (as well as incentives for the early completion of the SkyWalker Bridge ... sorry, that's what Mr. Ryan kept calling it ... because they want to get traffic off the old Crosstown as quickly as possible. He said, some problem could come up that would cost at least as much as the maximum amount of incentives.

[jn1780]

........... because they want to get traffic off the old Crosstown as quickly as possible. He said, some problem could come up that would cost at least as much as the maximum amount of incentives.

I'm sure those patch jobs add up over time. It will be great if they can have it open by the end of the year.

[foodiefan]

. . . looking forward to driving on it to downtown instead of taking every avenue possible to avoid it!!

[okcustu]

Is the I-235/35 junction going to be proper interchange? Meaning it won't dump merging traffic in the left lane, or have traffic merging from both sides.

Also will there be any changes to the I-44 interchange?

[Snowman]

Is the I-235/35 junction going to be proper interchange? Meaning it won't dump merging traffic in the left lane, or have traffic merging from both sides.

A semi-detailed schematic from 2009 does not show any new merges into the left lane, the existing i235 to i40 and i40 westbound to i35 ones will not change; plus the i40 eastbound to i35 will still end up on the left side though it be slightly different path to it. The merge zones look like better, in a lot of ways it is similar to the existing design. i235 to i40 west looks like the biggest improvement, partially since their was hardly any space to merge before.

Also will there be any changes to the I-44 interchange?

They only change as part of the crosstown project is it will be wider going up to the point where the lanes split, so instead of 4 westbound where you get a choice of which way to go they will all be dedicated lanes, coming east it looks like they are setting it up so turning from southbound i44 to eastbound i40 could be expanded to two lanes later.

[okcustu]

Thanks!

[SkyWestOKC]

Noticed today on the western area of the new highway they have started putting the poles up for the new roadway signage. They appear to be the water-pipe design.

[jn1780]

I also noticed some construction barrels being setup on the new stretch of road on the west end. I wonder if the plan is to go ahead and open the new Agnew ramp so they can start building that other bridge?

[Watson410]

They can't just open the Agnew bridge, They'll have to open the whole eastbound of the new highway.. That won't happen until they completely finish paving.