I-44/I-235 interchange...

[warreng88]

Construction bids on Oklahoma road to rev up for next project
By Don Gammill
Published: February 1, 2010

It won’t be long until the next major movement begins on one of the city’s busiest roadways.

Any news on when we can expect the Interstate 44/I-235 interchange project to resume? I remember that the next phase was to be in the northwest quadrant of the intersection.

Russell

It won’t be long, Russell. That’s the word from Cole Hackett of the state Transportation Department.

"Additional improvements to the Broadway Extension (U.S. 77)/I-235/I-44 corridor, following the recently completed project at Broadway Extension at Memorial Road, will start later this year,” Cole said.

"The next project will take place in the northwest quadrant of the I-44/I-235 interchange and will construct a new ramp from southbound I-235 to westbound I-44. This project is scheduled to go out for bid this summer.

"Then in 2011, a project to widen Broadway Extension and construct new roadway and railroad bridges at 50th Street is scheduled. We are currently working with the railroad company and project designers to solidify plans for this project.

"Subsequent projects on the corridor in following years will construct longer ramps and new flyover ramps at Broadway Extension/I-235 and I-44, as well as improve frontage roads and complete the widening of Broadway Extension/I-235 between 36th Street and Edmond.”

By the way ...

As with any roadwork along a road that carries the same volume of traffic as the Broadway Extension, you’re going to see — unfortunately — those who follow too close, drive too fast, or otherwise display a lack of skills.

Don’t be one of them. We’ll all be safer. And that includes the crews working in those areas.

Enjoy your week and drive safely.

NewsOK

[Of Sound Mind]

I wonder when that means the construction -- and the new traffic nightmare -- actually begins.

[bombermwc]

Well sounds like (as usual) they're saving the actual interchange for last. So we'll still be stuck with the worst part of the whole thing, the longest. I'd much rather see the new interchange happen and THEN do the other work. At least that way, the passing traffic can clear up more quickly. Oh well.

[benman]

Sooo correct me if Im wrong, but it sounds like they are going to re-do the current ramps, widen broadway ext. and then come back in years (who knows how long) and then build the fly over ramps? Pretty sure the widening and fly over ramps need to be built asap as its the biggest disaster in the city.

[Kerry]

I never understood the sequencing of road construction. It seems to me they always do it backwards. I am sure there is a reason for it but I can't find it.

[khook]

Hmm a flyover like texas.... wonder how that will work with the ice and what the lifetime of it will be.

[Kerry]

Hmm a flyover like texas.... wonder how that will work with the ice and what the lifetime of it will be.

They do it in place a lot colder than OKC and they are no different than what you might find at the I-40/Tinker interchange. Run some steam tubes powered by wind generators and you could keep the flyovers warm, and thus ice free.

[BrettL]

You can add in de-icing systems on the bridges just like they do up in MN. What the cost is...? That's a different story.

[OKCTalker]

There's the flyover from northbound Lake Hefner Parkway to eastbound Kilpatrick Turnpike. How does that do in freezing conditions? It's gotta be better than I-44 between Penn Square Mall and Western Avenue.

[Kerry]

There's the flyover from northbound Lake Hefner Parkway to eastbound Kilpatrick Turnpike. How does that do in freezing conditions? It's gotta be better than I-44 between Penn Square Mall and Western Avenue.

...or the Crosstown.

[OKCisOK4me]

Sooo correct me if Im wrong, but it sounds like they are going to re-do the current ramps, widen broadway ext. and then come back in years (who knows how long) and then build the fly over ramps? Pretty sure the widening and fly over ramps need to be built asap as its the biggest disaster in the city.

What it sounds like they're going to do is relieve congestion between those traveling eastbound to northbound merging in with northbound to westbound traffic by making a flyover ramp for northbound to westbound traffic, which would be a most reasonable idea. This way, I could imagine that the eastbound to northbound cloverleaf will then be a dedicated lane that will turn into an exit only lane for N 63rd St.

I honestly figured they'd bid the 50th St. project long before the interchange project. It's going to be interesting when it does come to that, how they are going to line up the BNSF line to put in a new bridge--considering they're going to widen the highway through there. So much construction to keep up with.

I hope with all the Obama spending cuts that these projects are paid for without federal funding (yeah right) cause if they are, I see them being delayed for 20 years...

[Kerry]

I hope with all the Obama spending cuts that these projects are paid for without federal funding (yeah right) cause if they are, I see them being delayed for 20 years...

What spending cuts - the budget he submited went up to $3.83 trillion.

[OKCisOK4me]

What spending cuts - the budget he submited went up to $3.83 trillion.

Last Tuesday or earlier (I know this because I was talking to my dad about it then) there was talk about him suspending something like $800 million in departments such as education and transportation & I was laughing about that because that's hardly a fraction of what the current national debt is. But the whole "transportation" part had me saying "there goes our federal funding for construction projects"!

[Spartan]

Hmm a flyover like texas.... wonder how that will work with the ice and what the lifetime of it will be.

You're right. It's the climate of Oklahoma that makes antiquated and unsafe interchange design the best idea for us.

[Of Sound Mind]

I wonder if it's even possible to have a non-Politics thread not devolve into a partisan political discussion.

[OKCisOK4me]

I wonder if it's even possible to have a non-Politics thread not devolve into a partisan political discussion.

I was trying to be as simple as possible but because so many road projects are federally funded it was difficult and didn't matter as you can see above, lol.

[Spartan]

So is this the last phase of the Broadway Extension reconstruction or is the finish date still decades away?

[westsidesooner]

A long time ago I saw some renderings of the proposed changes to the interchange, I don't remember if it was in the paper or on the news, but does anyone know where I can find them? Or better yet if you find some could you please post them here. One things for sure......it'll be a nightmare while it's going on. Thx

[Larry OKC]

So is this the last phase of the Broadway Extension reconstruction or is the finish date still decades away?

Not sure about the decades part but wouldn't be surprised. The way I understand it, these projects are broken down into doable parts (depending on the State/Federal funding they can get). Rarely does a project get funded completely at once. In any case the article at the beginning of the thread put it: "Subsequent projects on the corridor in following years will construct longer ramps..." [this is after 2011]

The funding thing was the reason given for the extended timetable of the Ft. Smith Junction...they were working on it when I moved back in '85.

[tehvipir]

to the left is south, right is north, bottom is east, top is west.

[bombermwc]

Why are they keeping any part of a cloverleaf in this plan? That seems really dumb that they would do that on traffic in any direction since that's what got us in this mess to begin with.

[OKCisOK4me]

Why are they keeping any part of a cloverleaf in this plan? That seems really dumb that they would do that on traffic in any direction since that's what got us in this mess to begin with.

The cloverleafs are bigger and they're in the directions of traffic that are least used. Plus, they will not be sharing a lane for other traffic to merge into and will only have to merge into the main flow of traffic.

Here's a pic I posted either on another thread in this forum way back when or on oktalk.com. View is looking SSW.

[hipsterdoofus]

For some reason I was under the impression they were going to build the Santa Fe Bridge before they did anything else so that traffic could be diverted. Does anyone know the status on that?

[Spartan]

Why are they keeping any part of a cloverleaf in this plan? That seems really dumb that they would do that on traffic in any direction since that's what got us in this mess to begin with.

I don't think there is enough clearance south of I-44 between there and NW 50th Street to do a flyover lane with a safe enough grade for trucks and stuff.

[tehvipir]

What do you mean clearence? are you saying that there is not enough space from the time they exit to where they will have to make the climb and the turn? i do think there is enough room. remember 50th is a ways south than the exit or on ramp currently in place.