NW Expwy & May?

[Celebrator]

Anybody heard anything about a project for the former Smicklas Chevrolet dealership location at the SW "corner" of NW Expwy and May? They demolished all of the dealer buildings and are moving lots of earth there. Seems like a prime location to me. I work right near there, so I am hoping for something cool.

[mcca7596]

Dave and Busters, along with a Whataburger and Jack-In-The-Box:

http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.ph...ve+and+busters

[Celebrator]

Sorry about that...this has been a much-discussed topic, but since I really have no interest in Dave and Busters, I never bothered to read the thread! I, too, was hoping for a mixed-use development in this location...very disappointing.

This question/thread can be removed. My bad.

[mcca7596]

It's all good; you're right, it would have been a great location for something more urban.

[soonergal]

I'm just glad it's not going to be another deserted car lot that are seems to be very popular along May Ave...

[Soonerinfiniti]

There is going to be some retail associated with this development (strip center). Speculative at this time. Interesting thing, they are going to put a traffic light at May Avenue and NW 52nd. That seems to me that a light this close to NW 50th would really slow down traffic.

[MikeOKC]

There WILL be more than D&B, Jack In The Box and Whataburger. From what I hear, this site has a couple of very decent prospects. Great location.

[metro]

There WILL be more than D&B, Jack In The Box and Whataburger. From what I hear, this site has a couple of very decent prospects. Great location.

We already know that from their own official statements. They mentioned there will be at least 2 hotels.

[redrunner]

We already know that from their own official statements. They mentioned there will be at least 2 hotels.

was wondering when you were gonna chime in.

[okcisok]

I travel that area on May Ave two or three times a week. Does anyone know if the city has any plans to resurface the May Ave bridge that goes over NWX? It has been in horrible shape for a long time and more traffic will just make it worse.

[metro]

Resurface.....it needs to be rebuilt to modern design standards to handle the traffic load

[okcisok]

I always hold my breath when I cross that bridge. It's been in bad shape for years. I remember when a truck hit it going under and they had to determine how much damage it suffered. I can only imagine what a hassle it would be to close NWX for any period of time to rework that interchange.

[Spaugh]

I recall that was the boom of an excavator on a flatbed that ran into the bridge and damaged the beams underneath the easternmost lane. Put holes all the way through the surface and seemed to take forever to fix. Someone really messed up.

[bluedogok]

I recall that was the boom of an excavator on a flatbed that ran into the bridge and damaged the beams underneath the easternmost lane. Put holes all the way through the surface and seemed to take forever to fix. Someone really messed up.

Yep, that was an expensive lesson for that company.

[oneforone]

My Sister works over at Baptist. She will be glad to hear that Whataburger and Jack in the Box will be close by. Baptist's Evening/overnight food service has turned to garbage since they went on a health kick. She said take out and delivery places are making a killing off of hospital staff.

[Larry OKC]

Wonder if they are relocating the old, original "A" frame Whataburger not too far from there, just south of 36th & May? Need to ask the next time I am in there

[Brett]

Whataburger is open for business.

[Snowman]

Resurface.....it needs to be rebuilt to modern design standards to handle the traffic load

The design always seemed odd to me, did it go in before i44? It must have been before Lake Hefner Parkway. It seems like with all the other stoplights around it, their is not that much of an advantage of it being controlled access and given how little room the entry and exit ramps have it seems like it may be more dangerous for drivers than a normal intersection as well.

[Jim Kyle]

The design always seemed odd to me, did it go in before i44?

It went in long before the Interstate program itself. Back in the late '40s, Northwest Highway ended (or more accurately, began) at May and only the ramps on the west side of May existed. The bridge was there, as I recall, even though the highway didn't extend to the east. During the 50s, the highway got extended to the east as far as Classen Circle. The part of I44 from NW 39 and May up to the Belle Isle Bridge didn't get built until the mid-50s; I remember the excavation for its May Avenue underpass being dug in 1954. And the Belle Isle bridge itself dates from the early 70s. Before that, the I44 route joined NW highway, to Classen Circle, then continued to the northeast from there.

[Snowman]

It went in long before the Interstate program itself. Back in the late '40s, Northwest Highway ended (or more accurately, began) at May and only the ramps on the west side of May existed. The bridge was there, as I recall, even though the highway didn't extend to the east. During the 50s, the highway got extended to the east as far as Classen Circle. The part of I44 from NW 39 and May up to the Belle Isle Bridge didn't get built until the mid-50s; I remember the excavation for its May Avenue underpass being dug in 1954. And the Belle Isle bridge itself dates from the early 70s. Before that, the I44 route joined NW highway, to Classen Circle, then continued to the northeast from there.

Thanks, clears up several things I had wondered why they were done the way the were.

[Jim Kyle]

The original plan for Northwest Highway was to have a direct route from OKC to Denver, and the stretch from May Avenue out to the US 81 intersection past Okarche was built in the very late 30s. One of my earliest memories is that of sitting on my father's lap and "driving" the car (actually just steering it; Daddy retained control of the gas and the brake) on the unpaved NW Highway, around 1939 or so. That was the period when Highway 66 between El Reno and Yukon was being expanded from 2-lane to 3-lane, and traffic was detoured up 81 at El Reno, then along NW Highway to OKC.

The dam for Lake Hefner (then known as the Bluff Creek Reservoir) was built in that same time frame. Both projects were halted midway toward completion by WW2, then finished in the mid-40s.

[BB37]

My memories don't go nearly as far back as Jim's, but the only modifications to that interchange that I can recall occurred in the mid 80s, when NWX expanded from 4 to 6 lanes (three each way). Otherwise, it is unchanged from its original construction, even down to the OKC Garden Clubs sign on the SW corner.

[TheTravellers]

There is going to be some retail associated with this development (strip center). Speculative at this time. Interesting thing, they are going to put a traffic light at May Avenue and NW 52nd. That seems to me that a light this close to NW 50th would really slow down traffic.

It does, it's not synchronized to the light at 50th. Was going north on May, light on 50th turned green, light at 52nd turned red. Brilliant, but not unexpected, sadly. Maybe someone has paid attention to it by now and fixed it, this experience was a few weeks ago.

[MikeOKC]

It does, it's not synchronized to the light at 50th. Was going north on May, light on 50th turned green, light at 52nd turned red. Brilliant, but not unexpected, sadly. Maybe someone has paid attention to it by now and fixed it, this experience was a few weeks ago.

If they are going to synch the lights, they would have to wait until they get an idea of traffic flow after the center is opened on the west side of May. It sure helps getting in and out of Target having the light.

[TheTravellers]

If they are going to synch the lights, they would have to wait until they get an idea of traffic flow after the center is opened on the west side of May. It sure helps getting in and out of Target having the light.

No, they wouldn't have to wait, they could do an interim fix, then fine-tune when the other places opened up.