The New I-40 (Construction Updates)

[jungmuny]

ODOT Media Advisory.
Those going to the downtown area or Bricktown should use the Shields Blvd. exit. The under-utilized facility is one of the larger corridors that can accommodate higher traffic volumes encountered for special events. [/B]

Maybe the main reason is to keep visitors from seeing film row/skid row, as all the homeless resources have been relocated to the sw part of downtown, mainly from Western to Penn.

[Just the facts]

5 new lanes of bumper to bumper traffic. That excess capacity didn't take long to get used up.

[jn1780]

5 new lanes of bumper to bumper traffic. That excess capacity didn't take long to get used up.

Its not really five lanes yet. Its three lanes on the western and eastern ends and they have the fifth lane in the middle closed off. Plus, its mostly the two right hand lanes backing up at the Western ramp because people didn't know about Shields. Some people don't even realize Shields turns into E.K Gaylord and then turns into Broadway avenue.

Anyway, they change the timing at the stoplight at Western and people who work on the central and eastern parts of downtown should know about Shields now come Monday morning.

[semisimple]

5 new lanes of bumper to bumper traffic. That excess capacity didn't take long to get used up.

At only 110,000 vehicles per day at its busiest section, the six lane Crosstown only saw light congestion at peak hours. It'll be decades before traffic volumes on I-40 swell to the 200k+ range where congestion will start to become a problem on the new 10-lane facility.

[jn1780]

At only 110,000 vehicles per day at its busiest section, the six lane Crosstown only saw light congestion at peak hours. It'll be decades before traffic volumes on I-40 swell to the 200k+ range where congestion will start to become a problem on the new 10-lane facility.

Not to mention a lot of the downtown traffic will be diverted to the new boulevard when its completed.

[Thunder]

So, we know the eastbound unfortunately only have two exit ramps, Shields and Western. What about westbound? Will there still be the Classen exit? If that's taken out, I'll scream.

[OKCisOK4me]

Yeah, my ODOT guy emailed me this afternoon to ask me if I had gotten to drive it yet. He said the reason it was so backed up at Western this morning was due to a glitch with the stoplights which threw it into a three-way red blinking stoplight but that was fixed earlier today.

[OKCisOK4me]

So, we know the eastbound unfortunately only have two exit ramps, Shields and Western. What about westbound? Will there still be the Classen exit? If that's taken out, I'll scream.

Thunder, traveling eastbound, you can exit at Agnew, Penn, Western & Shields. Westbound will be Robinson, Western, Penn & Agnew. The boulevard interchanges will be integrated by 2014.

[SSEiYah]

5 new lanes of bumper to bumper traffic. That excess capacity didn't take long to get used up.

To fix rush hour problems, You'd need to make I-35 12 lanes (both directions, 6 lanes each direction) from I-40 to Norman, 12 lanes from expressway to i-240, make I-240 10 lanes both directions, 3 thru lanes to get to i-35 south from I-240, I35 would be like 18 lanes wide near I35/I240 interchange if everything was perfect.... i-40 would need to be 10 thru lanes from yukon to mwc, but your taxes would probably double to afford it all, so deal with minimal rush hour traffic for now..It is nothing compared to most cities of this size.

Once the I235 and I-44 section is done, the only slow going sections will be I-35 from downtown OKC to Moore, I-44 from Route 66 to I-240, I-40 from Council to Yukon exits, other than that it should be smooth sailing during rush hour.

Even 3 thru lanes on every interstate and 2 transition lanes from each direction would fix most rush hour problems, its all about $$. Concrete aint cheap.

[ljbab728]

To fix rush hour problems, You'd need to make I-35 12 lanes (both directions, 6 lanes each direction) from I-40 to Norman, 12 lanes from expressway to i-240, make I-240 10 lanes both directions, 3 thru lanes to get to i-35 south from I-240, I35 would be like 18 lanes wide near I35/I240 interchange if everything was perfect.... i-40 would need to be 10 thru lanes from yukon to mwc, but your taxes would probably double to afford it all, so deal with minimal rush hour traffic for now..It is nothing compared to most cities of this size.

Once the I235 and I-44 section is done, the only slow going sections will be I-35 from downtown OKC to Moore, I-44 from Route 66 to I-240, I-40 from Council to Yukon exits, other than that it should be smooth sailing during rush hour.

Even 3 thru lanes on every interstate and 2 transition lanes from each direction would fix most rush hour problems, its all about $$. Concrete aint cheap.

SSEiYah, you don't understand Kerry's point. He is being sarcastic and thinks there should not be a freeway of any size through downtown. He's against freeways of any kind and thinks we should only have cow paths around town.

[Snowman]

To fix rush hour problems, You'd need to make I-35 12 lanes (both directions, 6 lanes each direction) from I-40 to Norman, 12 lanes from expressway to i-240, make I-240 10 lanes both directions, 3 thru lanes to get to i-35 south from I-240, I35 would be like 18 lanes wide near I35/I240 interchange if everything was perfect.... i-40 would need to be 10 thru lanes from yukon to mwc, but your taxes would probably double to afford it all, so deal with minimal rush hour traffic for now..It is nothing compared to most cities of this size.

Once the I235 and I-44 section is done, the only slow going sections will be I-35 from downtown OKC to Moore, I-44 from Route 66 to I-240, I-40 from Council to Yukon exits, other than that it should be smooth sailing during rush hour.

Even 3 thru lanes on every interstate and 2 transition lanes from each direction would fix most rush hour problems, its all about $$. Concrete aint cheap.

Outside of what Kerry will probably repeat from his earlier statements, that a functioning highway will encourage more people to use it. A major issue with how rush hour clogs the interstates is that you need design and policy to get more volume through the junctures than is carried on the mainlines to keep traffic from backing up, however almost every interstate juncture does the opposite in a few ways and as congestion forms there it then spreads back just getting worse till traffic load drops hour(s) later.

[Larry OKC]

Drove it today at 7:20. It was a 15 - mph grind until Penn and Western, with half of the traffic getting off at those off ramps. Hardly anyone got off on Shields. You pick up an extra lane at the Penn exit so it actually picked up. The Skydance bridge is an incredible beast to drive under.....it has the WOW factor going on. The speed picked up to 65 after Western, and the East end was no issue. I also like the boathouse view......

Was on it right about the same time but I exited on Penn...experienced the same as you...taking the same route for the last 3 months to get to work on the old with those construction twists & turns and never had to come to a near stop like I did Friday morning and crawl over the lanes of traffic to get to the exit. Still faster than going 10th to Penn.

Hopefully it is all temp and when they get more lanes opened up and folks get used to it...but then again, Hefner Parkway has the same problem with traffic backed up bad at NW Highway, a little less at the next exit and so forth. Every curve in the road has the person in the front deciding to slow down to 40 or less or slow down to try to get over to an exit ramp etc. Odd thing i noticed a while back even though there wasn't any construction on HP, the slow downs happen regularly, yet at the same time, go through the ever changing construction zone that was Broadway Extension a while back (from I-44 north) and people were flying thru there at 55 or more (and down to 2 lanes). Go figure.

[oneforone]

I find it amusing people were actually expecting a smooth transition from one the new section to the other. If had still had to use I -40 for my commute I would have taken a different route to work for at least the first few days. Thanks to a transfer my commute is now seven minutes of city streets.

The off ramp situation reminds me of how people react to locked doors on public buildings. One set of doors will be locked however, a short walk one direction or the other there is another entrance. They will pound on the door or get frustrated and walk away. Meanwhile every other person quickly decides to try the other door or use another entrance.

[CCOKC]

I took the new crosstown yesterday during rush hour. I had quite a wait getting from I-44 southbound to I-40 in the first place. Western was terrible. I had read the map before hand and realized that Shields would be the better way to go. When I got off the ramp at Shields I was the only one at the light. I told my coworker who lives west of town to take Shields and since she is not that familiar with downtown after I said Shields turns into EK Gaylord turns into Broadway that sounded a little intimidating to her so she decided to take Western with every one else. I got to work about 30 minutes before she did. I think that persuaded her to take Shields the next time.

[brianinok]

It doesn't bother me because I know the streets downtown well, but at the Shields exit, why can't they put something like:

Exit -->
Shields Blvd
EK Gaylord Ave
Broadway Ave

Then after you exit but before you get to the light put something like the following:

<-- To
EK Gaylord Ave
Broadway Ave

The exits off of I-235 list multiple downtown streets, why can't I-40?

[jn1780]

It doesn't bother me because I know the streets downtown well, but at the Shields exit, why can't they put something like:

Exit -->
Shields Blvd
EK Gaylord Ave
Broadway Ave

Then after you exit but before you get to the light put something like the following:

<-- To
EK Gaylord Ave
Broadway Ave

The exits off of I-235 list multiple downtown streets, why can't I-40?

I also don't know why the same stretch of road has three different names.

[holm1231]

I drove on it today! It was great, it felt like I was in another city. I loved how I could see the river and parks in my view for most of the trip. I like how the walls get bigger as you get in downtown with O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A C-I-T-Y on the wall. I can't believe some of the people said it was bumpy. I drive a very bumpy truck and it was so smooth. The only bump I felt was when we go over the canal bridge. Plus, the cracks that are tires hit on the long stretches, are due to the lanes being offset during the temporary constructions.

[SSEiYah]

I drove on it today! It was great, it felt like I was in another city. I loved how I could see the river and parks in my view for most of the trip. I like how the walls get bigger as you get in downtown with O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A C-I-T-Y on the wall. I can't believe some of the people said it was bumpy. I drive a very bumpy truck and it was so smooth. The only bump I felt was when we go over the canal bridge. Plus, the cracks that are tires hit on the long stretches, are due to the lanes being offset during the temporary constructions.

As you can see on the video I posted, it is a little bumpy. My car has a pretty tight suspension. Driving to Lawton on I-44 is rough.

Camera shaking slightly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpW0x...e=related&hd=1




It is not nearly as smooth as Broadway extension from I-44 to Edmond.

[Just the facts]

SSEiYah, you don't understand Kerry's point. He is being sarcastic and thinks there should not be a freeway of any size through downtown. He's against freeways of any kind and thinks we should only have cow paths around town.

Yes, that is what I mean. Give me a break.

http://oclblog.wordpress.com/category/highway-planning/

Gridlock! Traffic! Crying Wolf in Seoul
April 1, 2011

What would happen if they took out what was considered a vital traffic artery carrying 168,000 cars per day? Lots! Improved travel time, improved environment, increased property values, more public space, revitalized central business district.

Kamala Rao, MCIP, Transportation Planner in Vancouver, BC, and a Sightline board member, profiles Seoul’s success story of urban highway removal at Sightline Daily.

Before and after

If you need proof that removing urban freeways increase property values and improves livability just watch what happens along the old I-40 route over the next few years.

[MDot]

^^did you happen to fly in to OKC and take part in that occupy OKC movement at the dedication of the new I-40 on Thursday? Because if you didn't then boy did you miss out.

[ljbab728]

Yes, that is what I mean. Give me a break.

http://oclblog.wordpress.com/category/highway-planning/



If you need proof that removing urban freeways increase property values and improves livability just watch what happens along the old I-40 route over the next few years.

I didn't see any cows in that picture, Kerry. It's a failure.

[SSEiYah]

If you need proof that removing urban freeways increase property values and improves livability just watch what happens along the old I-40 route over the next few years.

You obviously forget where you live. Oklahoma City is one of the most fossil fuel dependent cities in the country. Without gasoline we'd be f***ed. Just saying.Public transit is non-existent here and you need to have good freeways to get around. We cant remove freeways/interstates since the infrastructure/economy here depends on it. Have fun with the commute from 122nd and Council to downtown with your bicycle. For now we need good interstates and OKC has them for the most part until gas is $10/gal. Once I-40 is done I should be able to get from my house from my house in Edgemere Park area (NW 35th and I-235 area) to Portland/I40 area in roughly 10 minutes during rush hour....Hopefully. No complaints here.

As far as increasing property values. I think the new replacement boulevard will increase property values. You will probably see some chains/big box stores replacing the abandoned warehouses, hopefully some higher density developments. Hopefully it turns into a more Urban-style Mixed use multi-floor Development vs the NW Expressway-suburban-style developments which have been popular in the last 20+ years. Eventually Higher Density development will be more favorable once oil prices reach crazy prices. Higher density developments are the wave of the future.

[ljbab728]

You obviously forget where you live. Oklahoma City is one of the most fossil fuel dependent cities in the country. Without gasoline we'd be f***ed. Just saying.Public transit is non-existent here and you need to have good freeways to get around. We cant remove freeways/interstates since the infrastructure/economy here depends on it. Have fun with the commute from 122nd and Council to downtown with your bicycle. For now we need good interstates and OKC has them for the most part until gas is $10/gal. Once I-40 is done I should be able to get from my house from my house in Edgemere Park area (NW 35th and I-235 area) to Portland/I40 area in roughly 10 minutes during rush hour....Hopefully. No complaints here.

As far as increasing property values. I think the new replacement boulevard will increase property values. You will probably see some chains/big box stores replacing the abandoned warehouses, hopefully some higher density developments. Hopefully it turns into a more Urban-style Mixed used multi-floor Development vs the NW Expressway-suburban-style developments which have been popular in the last 20 years.

SSEiYah, you're wasting your time in trying to reason with Kerry about that. And he doesn't live here. He lives in Jacksonville. I appreciate your comments but please try to leave out the expletives. It adds nothing to the discussion.

[Thunder]

(I was joking about the broken-down Nissan truck, cuz I have a Nissan truck, too.)

I just got back from Deaconess ER (refer to my latest Facebook status), then onto Walgreens on MacArthur before getting on I-40. It was hard to pinpoint the switchover, because it was dark. I tried to watch carefully to see how they did it. Anyway, the stretch is beautiful!!! The bridges and side walls are all artistically designed and painted. The lanes are very wide (way bigger than shown in pix). I think only 3 is open right now, but I may have noticed the 4th lane all the way to the left. Overall, the drive is smooth, but there are some bit of rough patches along the way, which I hope they will repair. Oh, special thanks to OKCTalk, there are now two giant flashing signs informing the drivers, "DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC USE SHIELDS BLVD." However, I looked very carefully and do not see OKLAHOMA CITY on any of the walls. The Skydance bridge is beautiful, but its only for eastbound drivers to enjoy, and yes, the lights were off, so no pictures from me. Its further away from Devon Tower, but it still look real tall, but not as scary tall, cuz of the distance now. I can feel it..just know it that when it is all completed, there will be zero traffic congestion, unless a major accident take up two lanes. Usually, an accident take up one lane, that will leave three lanes. Most definitely will be so smooth when its all said and done. Thunder officially give a grade of A-. This will turn into A+ once some rough patches are smoothed.

How about some trees? Will there be trees all along both sides? I was thinking, since this interstate-forty will be passing through a grand central park, we should accent the entire stretch with trees and landscaping. That will for sure be a huge plus for OKC, and all the trees will just absolutely love to absorb the pollution from the vehicles, which will overall help OKC greatly with weather.

Btw, try driving westbound at night (during the dark) and just stare at the bare old eastbound. Its real sad and heart-breaking to see our history closer to doom. It served our ancestors for many generations, including us.

SPECIAL REQUEST

Whoever have the picture of the old eastbound I-40, can you make a "NEVER FORGET" picture with the date it officially closed? I feel that its worth remembering it. Also make one for westbound when its time.

[ljbab728]

[QUOTE=Thunder;497043] Its real sad and heart-breaking to see our history closer to doom. It served our ancestors for many generations, including us[QUOTE]

I'm glad you approve but I don't share your nostalgia about the elevated I40. I was around here for many years before it was built and won't miss it at all.