New I-40 Crosstown

**okiebadger** · 05-24-2008, 03:52 PM

Are you seriously proposing the "Big Dig" as a model for the country? The highways are still there at the center of things, just out of sight. And they did this at enormous cost to the rest of us. This is a classic example of having one's cake and eating it too. The nation can't afford any more of these boondoggles IMO, and it seems to me to be a cautionary tale of how not to plan a transportation system.

**mmonroe** · 05-25-2008, 02:46 PM

Obama in '08

**edcrunk** · 05-26-2008, 12:52 AM

Originally Posted by Midtowner

The tracks won't be nearly as expensive as new right of ways.

what about using the new boulevard that will be developed after the bridge comes down? that will be a huge right of way...

**The Old Downtown Guy** · 05-26-2008, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by okiebadger

Are you seriously proposing the "Big Dig" as a model for the country? The highways are still there at the center of things, just out of sight. And they did this at enormous cost to the rest of us. This is a classic example of having one's cake and eating it too. The nation can't afford any more of these boondoggles IMO, and it seems to me to be a cautionary tale of how not to plan a transportation system.

Yes, the project used up about 14 Billion in mostly Federal transportation money, at least a few million came from Oklahoma . . . Oklahoma being a net contributor to the Federal transportation budget. But trying to take the long, long view, I think that it is a worthwhile project, considering the importance of the city of Boston. And, I'm not certain what the improvement in maintenance cost will be by not having the road surfaces directly exposed to the weather . . . bound to be quite a bit.

It is amazing to traverse a city the size of Boston and not cross over or under a major highway. Lots of their mass transit is underground as well in the form of subways.

**bombermwc** · 05-26-2008, 01:13 PM

Thats great for a city that you can do that....you cant go underground in OKC, and it would be so cost prohibitive that even if you could, it's just not feasible here. Each city has it's own issues to work out. You would find people in any major city in the US pissed off if they didnt have a highway to their central core. Rerouting around like that just doesnt work. And why would/should anyone be required to go all those extra miles just so there isn't a highway downtown??? But moreover, a lot of DOT experts don't exactlly think with forward momentum. According to a lot of them, we should all be using roads like the crosstown, no matter how clogged, for another 40 years....just because some of the support pillars are fine. It's all in who you talk to that considers themselves the expert.