Kilpatrick Turnpike to be widened

[okcfollower]

Seems like they are making good progress on the kilpatrick to Hefner bridge... Looks like the steal beams are all back in place and its a matter of putting concrete back on there now. At this rate it could be finished around New Years.

[Snowman]

Seems like they are making good progress on the kilpatrick to Hefner bridge... Looks like the steal beams are all back in place and its a matter of putting concrete back on there now. At this rate it could be finished around New Years.

It is still ridiculous that it is having to be redone at all. I wonder if that was the same company which installed the bridges incorrectly over the north canadian river.

[Bellaboo]

It is still ridiculous that it is having to be redone at all. I wonder if that was the same company which installed the bridges incorrectly over the north canadian river.

I think this Kilpatrick to LHP change is just due to the fact that the Kilpatrick was originally designed and built as a 4 lane road. When they decided to expand it to 6 lanes, they needed a wider path for the extra 2 lanes on the road, thus the support column's angle had to be changed for the lane clearance.

[Bill Robertson]

It is still ridiculous that it is having to be redone at all. I wonder if that was the same company which installed the bridges incorrectly over the north canadian river.

I agree that the river bridges are a joke. That contractor should never build another bridge. But the Kilpatrick-Hefner Parkway bridge I'm sure was built as it was designed. The designers apparently didn't consider the possibility of the Kilpatrick being increased to 6 lanes. Or that the increase would be inward and not done by adding outside lanes. Not the original bridge builders fault.

[Snowman]

I agree that the river bridges are a joke. That contractor should never build another bridge. But the Kilpatrick-Hefner Parkway bridge I'm sure was built as it was designed. The designers apparently didn't consider the possibility of the Kilpatrick being increased to 6 lanes. Or that the increase would be inward and not done by adding outside lanes. Not the original bridge builders fault.

The Turnpike Authority has stated it was originally designed with the capacity to be widened to six lanes and their was a mistake during the construction with the bridge clearance. It was always planned to have the widening take place on the inside lanes.

[sgt. pepper]

installed the bridges incorrectly over the north canadian river

Which bridges are you talking about?

[Snowman]

Which bridges are you talking about?

The two bridges over the north canadian river that are like ten segments each, where the alignment of each segment causes a dip where they meet.

[Bellaboo]

Which bridges are you talking about?

I think they are talking about the flood plain bridges, not the N. Canadian river bridge. They are about a mile south of the NC River bridge. This is about a mile north of the 39th street exit on the Kilpatrick.

Those bridges have to much 'upward bow' built in for their length, and it's like a roller coaster ride or worse. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Snowman]

I think they are talking about the flood plain bridges, not the N. Canadian river bridge. They are about a mile south of the NC River bridge. This is about a mile north of the 39th street exit on the Kilpatrick.

Those bridges have to much 'upward bow' built in for their length, and it's like a roller coaster ride or worse. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I guess I was not differentiating the approaches from those over the river, since they were not built in a style that is noticeably different in the three regions.

[LakeEffect]

I think they are talking about the flood plain bridges, not the N. Canadian river bridge. They are about a mile south of the NC River bridge. This is about a mile north of the 39th street exit on the Kilpatrick.

Those bridges have to much 'upward bow' built in for their length, and it's like a roller coaster ride or worse. Correct me if I'm wrong.

You are correct. The word in the engineering community is that the designer incorrectly calculated the weight of the deck (calculated it was heavier than it is). The beams were designed to carry a heavier dead weight (concrete and steel deck) than what was actually built. When the deck was done, it didn't deflect like the engineer thought it would.

[sgt. pepper]

ahhhhh yes, I feel like I am trying to take off on a run way every time I go over that bridge. A design flaw makes since, I was hoping it wasn't design for that. Thanx.

[Plutonic Panda]

Kilpatrick Turnpike, Lake Hefner Fly-Over Bridge To Reopen - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

[okcfollower]

Kilpatrick Turnpike, Lake Hefner Fly-Over Bridge To Reopen - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

that was fast... Wonder how much of a bonus they get for finishing in only 2/3 the projected time. Hope we don't have a bridge built 2/3 of the expected quality though! lol

[OKCTalker]

Great job OTA!

[Plutonic Panda]

Just FYI for anyone who doesn't know about the new pike passes. Time's Running Out For Old Oklahoma Pikepass Hard Cases - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

[Plutonic Panda]

This is pretty interesting.

Cable Barriers Installed On Oklahoma Turnpikes And Ripped Out - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

[OKCisOK4me]

This is pretty interesting.

Cable Barriers Installed On Oklahoma Turnpikes And Ripped Out - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

Old news PluPan....They ripped those out long before construction was started. You'd never driven the turnpike before then? Even when they were installing the cable barrier system, it was known that they were going to widen the turnpike so even then, there was no reason to install them. News9 just can't find any good stories so they're running news items that have already been discussed.

[OKCisOK4me]

dup

[Plutonic Panda]

Oh, my bad. tbh I really don't remember the cable barriers going up nor do I remember the story about it. Was there controversy over this or was it pretty quiet?

[jn1780]

Oh, my bad. tbh I really don't remember the cable barriers going up nor do I remember the story about it. Was there controversy over this or was it pretty quiet?

The average person didn't really pay attention or care. Some may not even be smart enough to realize their gone. lol

[OKCisOK4me]

I noticed today they have been adding lights along the western end of the barrier wall. It'll be nice to have this portion of the Kilpatrick lit up since it is very dark at night.

[DowntownMan]

I noticed today they have been adding lights along the western end of the barrier wall. It'll be nice to have this portion of the Kilpatrick lit up since it is very dark at night.

I believe there will be lights along the entire stretch of the widened road. I really like this!!

[OKCisOK4me]

I believe there will be lights along the entire stretch of the widened road. I really like this!!

That you are correct about. I noticed even around Western when I entered the turnpike that there are gaps for electrical conduits and future pouring of concrete in those gaps. I wondered if anyone else has noticed them, maybe, doing light installation on the east end as well. I figured they'll meet in the middle.

[Plutonic Panda]

I wonder what the chances are of them redoing the "fly-over" going to eastbound on KP to Northbound I-35 so it actually "fly's" over and you enter from the right side of the highway instead of the left. I just don't like left entrances and exits. I know, I know, there are more important things for them to do at them moment, but I just wonder what the possibility of that is in the future. Also, does anyone know when they're going to widen it to I-35(that would be best time to do it to)?

[Snowman]

I wonder what the chances are of them redoing the "fly-over" going to eastbound on KP to Northbound I-35 so it actually "fly's" over and you enter from the right side of the highway instead of the left. I just don't like left entrances and exits. I know, I know, there are more important things for them to do at them moment, but I just wonder what the possibility of that is in the future. Also, does anyone know when they're going to widen it to I-35(that would be best time to do it to)?

The 8 year plan lists rehabilitation for i35 and work on it's bridges at various times between 2017-2020 (with the way there projections generally work plan on it slipping a few years) but it does not indicate they are adding any lanes at that time, though it may be planned/done in a way that makes it easier to do later.

The flyovers will be nowhere near needing total replacement then, it would even be early for ODOT's cycles to just be re-decking them. The crosstown's piers and steel spans that supported the deck was only halfway through their life expectancy as they were pulled out, if it were not already handling double it's capacity with no easy way to widen it and concerns about the lack of redundancy designed into it, it could have just been striped to the metal girders and re-decked for a fraction of the cost.