The New I-40 (Construction Updates)

[jbrown84]

Have they demolished the magnificent underpasses on Robinson and Walker yet?

[Watson410]

Nope... I don't think anyways, I haven't been over there in a couple weeks. I'm kind of sad to see those go..

[CCOKC]

I did exactly what Betts did last Saturday. I could still see some of the old platforms but the lines (save one) are definitely gone. The underpasses were still there.

[OKCisOK4me]

I went to Union Station today and snapped some photos with my cell phone. Please pardon the 1.3 mp shots.

Looking Westbound. Notice the rather large pit where the highway will be sub level. The bridges are still there. I drove down both streets today.


What is left of the platforms behind Union Station.


Looking Eastbound. So foggy and dreary...

[Kerry]

Well, this should put an end to the Elmore campaign.

[Thunder]

We're gonna have the highway next to a train track?

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

We're gonna have the highway next to a train track?

Yup.

And every Tuesday night there will be races. Heartland Express vs. Oklahoma City Corvette Club and other sundry automobiling organizations.

[Kerry]

We're gonna have the highway next to a train track?

The highway will be depressed but the train track won't. So you won't know if you win unless you have a convertible.

[OKCisOK4me]

The highway will be depressed but the train track won't. So you won't know if you win unless you have a convertible.

This is where the conundrum comes into play. Now, of course, when Union Station was the big dog daddy crossing all those tracks was basically impossible which is why they eventually placed those underpasses beneath the yard.

Now with the new Crosstown there the paths of Walker and Robinson will go over I-40 but will have an at grade crossing with Union Pacific's rail line (and possible future commuter line) which I hope will not cause congestion. But it probably will nonetheless.

[jonno]

The highway will be depressed but the train track won't. So you won't know if you win unless you have a convertible.

There will be several areas where I-40 and the RR are at the same grade/elevation but they won't be able to see each other due to retaining walls and ramps. In these areas the cross streets (Penn) will go over both. All retaining walls will have a surface treatment so they won't be plain (ugly) concrete.

In other areas, yes you'll be able to see trains from your car and vice versa. They will be on the North side of the highway. Is it I-44 in Tulsa where the train tracks are in the median?

[mugofbeer]

I hope the state hiway dept. is smart and either chooses a paint color for the retaining walls or treats them with something for the inevitable grafitti tagging that will happen.

[OKCDrummer77]

In other areas, yes you'll be able to see trains from your car and vice versa. They will be on the North side of the highway. Is it I-44 in Tulsa where the train tracks are in the median?

There is a stretch like that. I believe it's OK-51/US-64 southeast of downtown (aka Broken Arrow Expressway).

[jonno]

I hope the state hiway dept. is smart and either chooses a paint color for the retaining walls or treats them with something for the inevitable grafitti tagging that will happen.

Some sound and retaining walls in the OKC area have been treated with non-graffiti coatings such as the buffalo at I-235 and 36th St. I'm not sure how intricate the I-40 retaining walls will be but if they're close to being that decorative I would imagine they'll be treated as well. It's unfortunate this treatment is necessary since it isn't particulary cheap.

[OKCDrummer77]

My favorite stretch of below-grade freeway is US 75 north of downtown Dallas. It's a great example of what happens when you don't settle for plain, boring, straight concrete walls.

[Architect2010]

I remember seeing in the renderings of the highway that the retaining walls would have designs in them, much like the buffalo on 36th and I-235.

[OKCisOK4me]

I sent an email to John Bowman of ODOT and he answered a few questions for me. My questions were pertaining to Robinson and Walker and if they would have at grade crossings with the Union Pacific railroad or would they go over the railroad & when would construction of the westbound bridge over Agnew begin. The resulting is his reply:

"Good to hear from you again. Hope you like the progress as promised so far. Robinson and Walker will both go over the new alignment of the interstate and the UPRR rail line. They will tie down at 7th on the north and 10th on the south and will be up in the air and give a wonderful viewshed of the city. The SkyDance Bridge will be located just west of Robinson. As for Agnew, we will build the north bridge under workpackage 3.4. It is our intent that Agnew stay open and have all exits and entrances operational except for occasional short duration closures (hopefully less than a day)."

The way I understand this is that the bridges for Robinson & Walker--if providing 30 feet of clearance over the UP rail line--will be 40 or 50 feet over the new highway, unless there is a gradual downward slope toward 10th Street on the south. If it's straight then this whole section is going to remind me of the chase scene in 'Matrix Reloaded'...deep walls with really high bridges, lol.

[MrZ]

Does anyone else look at the renderings and art in the designs for everything related to the new I-40 and Core to Shore and laugh themselves silly at all the green grass, tall trees, and crystal clear blue water shown all over downtown?
I'm happy the project is moving forward, I just think the designers got confused and thought we were Miami, Houston, or San Diego. The only grey I see in those renderings is the metal on the buildings. The artist must have only visited here in the peak of Spring and never taken a glance at the true color of the river.

[mugofbeer]

Some sound and retaining walls in the OKC area have been treated with non-graffiti coatings such as the buffalo at I-235 and 36th St. I'm not sure how intricate the I-40 retaining walls will be but if they're close to being that decorative I would imagine they'll be treated as well. It's unfortunate this treatment is necessary since it isn't particulary cheap.

The next best thing is to do what they did to the I-25 South project in denver and paint the retaining walls to begin with. Then, when the walls do get tagged, they can cover with a known shade and not splotch it with multi-colored squares of whatever paint they had in the truck.

[mburlison]

they could hook up the surrounding areas of the retaining walls w/ several hundred volts of electricity... should end the tagging .

[jonno]

Then, when the walls do get tagged, they can cover with a known shade and not splotch it with multi-colored squares of whatever paint they had in the truck.

You'd think that would work but this approach has its own problems. Due to fading of the paint and slight differences in lots/sublots produced by the manufacturer for the exact same color/shade of paint, you can come back with the "same" paint color but it won't match what was placed before. The end result can be the multi-colored squares you mentioned earlier. You're also assuming the manufacturer will continue to make that color of paint which isn't always the case either. All that being said, yes there are many instances where graffiti was addressed with "whatever they had in the truck".

[OKC@heart]

Some pics of the overpass at Agnew over the crosstown & its textured retaining walls. Then a more close shot of the textured wall by wheeler park. Images courtesy of the Forward I-40 website in which they have a number of construction pics in their gallery.

40 Forward: Oklahoma's I-40 Crosstown Expressway

[Larry OKC]

they could hook up the surrounding areas of the retaining walls w/ several hundred volts of electricity... should end the tagging .

Interesting idea...similar the the Sheriff's new substation out at the Zoo...could eliminate the over crowding, already have the cages and can throw the more difficult prisoners in the with the Lions (only kidding)

[sroberts24]

seems to be A LOT of progress around I-40 between Penn and May.... but also very scary driving next to 18-wheelers thru all that!

[OKCisOK4me]

Here goes the old underpasses on either side of Union Station:

Photo Gallery

Courtesy of 40forward.com

The shoofly for the UPRR mainline is going to be pretty interesting. I guess they are just going to do one street at a time (Robinson then Walker)...

[metro]

So sad they destroyed the historic looking Robinson underpass. One of my favorite vantage points of all OKC and one of the few remaining pieces of the past.