I-35 Widening Between OKC Metro and TX State Line

[Plutonic Panda]

This was from the last commission meeting:

Multiple Counties – Districts III and VIl (CI-2379)

The Department has selected EST. Inc. to provide preliminary engineering for I-35: from Ladd Road to Mile Marker 7. Services to include preliminary engineering studies.

CI-2379 EST, Inc.
Total Not to Exceed Amount $2,000,000.00

That’s basically from Goldsby to MM 7 near Marietta. ODOT has really been ramping up the fact I-35 needs more capacity not only just from I-40 to Norman(which will hopefully be another widening to make the freeway at least 12-14 lanes) but from the Canadian River to the Texas state line in southern Oklahoma. So it looks like we may finally get a plan to six lane I-35 which along with Texas’s plans would ensure a minimum of 3 lanes each way from OKC to Dallas, SA, or Houston. I’m very excited for this news.

Keep in mind ODOT has already started a project to widen I-35 from 6-8 lanes from Thackerville to Red River Bridges which will be modified and/or replaced. There’s another project coming up soon to extend that widening to MM 7 later this decade.

[Laramie]

May Commission Meeting Wrap-Up: I-35 to be widened to

six lanes near Thackerville; $71 million in contracts

awarded

Link: https://oklahoma.gov/odot/citizen/ne...ix-lanes-.html

https://oklahoma.gov/odot/citizen/ma...-projects.html

[G.Walker]

Great, more construction from here to Dallas, lol. However, they need to widen to 6 lanes from Norman to Dallas. I would imagine that would be a pretty penny, and Oklahoma would be footing most of that bill. Not sure if something like this would qualify for some of that Biden Infrastructure bill funds.

[Snowman]

Great, more construction from here to Dallas, lol. However, they need to widen to 6 lanes from Norman to Dallas. I would imagine that would be a pretty penny, and Oklahoma would be footing most of that bill. Not sure if something like this would qualify for some of that Biden Infrastructure bill funds.

While Oklahoma may have more miles to upgrade to get to that width, typically 90% of interstate funding is federal funds.

[HangryHippo]

Great, more construction from here to Dallas, lol. However, they need to widen to 6 lanes from Norman to Dallas. I would imagine that would be a pretty penny, and Oklahoma would be footing most of that bill. Not sure if something like this would qualify for some of that Biden Infrastructure bill funds.

I’d have to search for it, but ODOT has gone on record saying I-35 is as wide as it’s going to be between OKC and Norman. They didn’t buy right of way and it’s now cost prohibitive/development is too close to widen any further.

[G.Walker]

I'm talking about from Norman to the Red River state line. Supposedly Texas is widening to 6 lanes from Dallas to the Red River state line already.

[Plutonic Panda]

I'm talking about from Norman to the Red River state line. Supposedly Texas is widening to 6 lanes from Dallas to the Red River state line already.

TxDOT is actually widening their section to 8 lanes. The first phase will be 6 lanes but it will be built to be expanded to 4 lanes each way from Thackerville(MM 1) to Denton by the 2030s(what TxDOT refers to as the “ultimate buildout”). Part of I-35 will be built on a completely new alignment in Texas by Gainesville.

I don’t think Texas has started any work yet except for the section in Denton. I know they awarded the contacts but I don’t know if work has started. The second phase of the I-35 E express lanes should also start shortly along with the expansion of I-35W into Fort Worth to six lanes(3 each way). They’ve already started all construction work south of the DFW metropolis to ensure I-35(both E & W) are a minimum of three lanes each way. They need to add as many lanes as possible.

Denton to Dallas will be 12-14 lanes(total) and ideally it’d be 20 lanes each way but that’s too expensive. Anything will help in Dallas. We’ll also see an expansion of the Heartland Flyer services from OKC-Dallas so traveling to and from DFW is about to get a lot better. I just wish they’d add a special Amtrak train straight into Dallas instead of Fort Worth.

[Plutonic Panda]

It would be very nice to see the North Dallas Tollway extended to Purcell with a 100MPH speed limit. Then I’d stop getting so many tickets. I love the OHP and I’m sure they love me. One can dream right?

[HangryHippo]

I'm talking about from Norman to the Red River state line. Supposedly Texas is widening to 6 lanes from Dallas to the Red River state line already.

You sure did, lol. I can’t read. My bad. I took the “from here to Dallas” part and ran with it.

[Plutonic Panda]

I’d have to search for it, but ODOT has gone on record saying I-35 is as wide as it’s going to be between OKC and Norman. They didn’t buy right of way and it’s now cost prohibitive/development is too close to widen any further.

Just FYI, they’re saying that to justify building the turnpike expansions. I-35 will be widened to 10-14 lanes between OKC and Norman likely in the form of HO/T lanes. They will initiate a study to expand the interstate sometime this decade likely within the next 3-5 years. The section from Moore to Norman is already going to be studied for general purpose lane expansion as part of the service road project they are undergoing.

[Plutonic Panda]

^^^ FWIW that widening will come from 28-36. I don’t know anything else than that.l, but I-35 in south OKC will be widened regardless of what “official” statements are released.

[MagzOK]

I’d have to search for it, but ODOT has gone on record saying I-35 is as wide as it’s going to be between OKC and Norman. They didn’t buy right of way and it’s now cost prohibitive/development is too close to widen any further.

Bring on a big dig and make a tollway underneath I-35 from OKC down through Moore. Have it start downtown just south of the river and come out at new turnpike bordering Moore/Norman with very limited access in-between. See I-635 between I-35 and US-75 in Dallas. Awesome. That's what OTA and ODOT should partner on.

[Plutonic Panda]

^^^ the OTA and ODOT are already pretty much the same entity now.

[Plutonic Panda]

Love County Project scoping page is live: https://blanton.events/ODOT_I-35_LoveCo_vpm/

[Plutonic Panda]

TW Article on it: https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-re...63ebc16a0.html

[jompster]

I noticed last trip through to Dallas that they're working on the alignment fix near Gainesville. It'll be nice to dull that curve there out a little.

[scottk]

We make the trip to Dallas a lot, the stretch between the I35E/I35W split in Denton to the Oklahoma state line is where we always have the most congestion. A lot of the Texas traffic exits either in Gainesville or Thackerville. OK Exit 3 northward seems to be just fine most of the time.

[bombermwc]

Made the trip from OKC to Dallas and back recently and tried to pay close attention to where the asphalt is still there, and where we've updated to concrete.

I think after the last 20 years or so, we're about 3/4 there. And what's nice is that about 1/2 to 3/4 of that asphalt that's left, is actually in good shape. There's really only a short area that is bad asphalt and they are converting to concrete, one of the previously bad sections. So I actually would give ODOT some props here. It's taken a long time, but they've also created (or are creating) something that will last a very long time, and even longer with an eventual shave job.

35 in TX sucks and will continue to suck. And a LOT of that traffic just exits at Winstar and never goes in further into OK. It's pretty drastic, the drop-off in the cars after exit 1. So let TX build all those extra lanes they want to bring us that casino money. But north of there, i think ODOT is doing just fine.

I do wish 35 between Norman and downtown could get a few extra lanes, and 44 basically from Hefner to 240. But the expense of those....man oh man.
I'm thinking once the 40-44 junction gets done, that mess on 40 west of 44 will clear up some, but as long as 44 itself is only 3 lanes on either side, it's gonna keep sucking.

[MagzOK]

I agree, ODOT has made tremendous strides rehabbing 35. It's taken a very long time, but yes it's really nice.

I also agree with your assessment of northbound traffic generally exiting at the Windstar. 35 is awful there between the casino and the Denton area it's just packed with cars. They've been working on quite the widening project through Gainesville south for a ways. That will be nice.

I do think 35 needs to be six-laned from Norman to Purcell, much like how they did I40 out west through El Reno. Traffic through this area is pretty thick every time we drive it -- several times monthly. And people often still camp in the passing lane literally right at the speed limit also it's so aggravating.

[BoulderSooner]

Love County Project scoping page is live: https://blanton.events/ODOT_I-35_LoveCo_vpm/

what a great little site that is ..

[MagzOK]

^^ yes it is. It's a really nice presentation.

[mugofbeer]

I noticed last trip through to Dallas that they're working on the alignment fix near Gainesville. It'll be nice to dull that curve there out a little.

Are they buying out the little XXX shop on TX exit 1? ��

[warreng88]

By the way, it is always fun to go back on googlemaps and find photos of areas and how they came along. This one is Win Star from June of 2008.

[bombermwc]

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news...r/70877216007/

Interesting that apparently there's a push that wants to go 6 lanes from OKC to Mexico.

My problem here is that OK has just spent the last 25 years re-doing the 4 lanes. We've made such great progress and we've all had to deal with the pain that created. Are we going to have to rip that out now? It's fairly easy to add another lane to all this without breaking the bank, but bridges.....that's where it gets expensive. Having not completed the re-paving work yet, but being so far into it, I'm having a hard time supporting throwing this much money at it at the expense of other more needed projects (like metro interchanges).

Am i alone here?

[warreng88]

I don't think you are alone. Personally, I would be all for an I-35 expansion from OKC to Purcell and Ardmore to Red River, but I don't know if it is necessary between Purcell and Ardmore yet. Maybe work on the necessary expansions and then widen the bridges from Purcell to Ardmore (65-ish miles) in case it is needed in the future. I am not sure if that is a big money saver or not, but I would guess 130 miles (both sides of the highway) would be a pretty penny...

I lived in Tulsa in the 90's when 169 was two lanes in each direction and then I started seeing bridge expansion work from 244 to 81st Street, about nine miles, and it felt like it took years. But, when it came time to expand the highway from four lanes to six lanes, it felt like that just took months and there was very little interruption in traffic.