The New I-40 (Construction Updates)

[OKCisOK4me]

Are there other people out there like me who like to drive down (or up, or over) every few months and check out the construction of the new Crosstown? Or am I alone on this one?

I looked through the current 11 pages of this forum and could not find a single thread pertaining to the ongoing construction of this project.

So if interested, please respond. I went on Saturday to check it out & I was going to go on Sunday and take some pics to hopefully post for those who do care, but I didn't. Anyway, if any of you have taken the time to notice the bridge and bridge piers being constructed over Agnew Avenue, my question to you is, the main bridge...is that all of it? Only because they say that this is going to be a 10 lane project and that sure doesn't look like 10 lanes. There is the little eastbound bridge on the south end of that project that will connect into the future boulevard but I was wondering if they are going to build another bridge (hence, they are currently adding on to the north end of the bridge over May Avenue to either make additional running lanes for the I-44 northbound exit or they are scooting the current I-40 over to be able to make room for tying in the new Crosstown in with the current Crosstown).

If anything, my thinking is that it is going to end up being 8 lanes over Agnew and the additional lanes for the rest of the new Crosstown will be entrance and exit lanes to and from just east of Agnew.

Also, has anyone else noticed how high the Pennsylvania bridge is and how far it's going to have to come down to meet up with Reno Avenue?! It's going to be a 45 degree incline to have to make up for the short distance between the two. Poor planning?! The only reason I can come up with for why they built that so high is because the rail line will have to pass underneath Penn on its own grade separate from the new highway. So it will be interesting to see if Penn will have direct access with Reno.

That is all for now.

[sgray]

Yeah, I too am guilty of taking detours to see whats up over there. I have not gone up close though, so if you get pics, I'd be glad to see them.

If what you're saying is true about the steep incline, that would suck in the winter time. Isn't there a law that restricts how steep the interstate can be at any one point?

[CCOKC]

I only have noticed the progress as I drive on the existing I-40 but have not taken much time to see the progress from other angles. Somebody here posted the link to the web-site that has the aerial pictures of the progress. Pretty interesting to see it from the sky. I also went to Little Flower a few months back to see how close the new I-40 will come to this historic church. This was back when the rail people wanted the project to move to accomodate the existing rail lines.
The view from Pennsylvania looking south is pretty interesting as well. Your right about how tall the bridge is there.

[OKCisOK4me]

Somebody here posted the link to the web-site that has the aerial pictures of the progress. Pretty interesting to see it from the sky.

I would like to see that link. I've never seen these aerial pictures at all. I once emailed the peeps at okdot to see if they'd put up a live cam anywhere for round the clock photo updates of the construction and they said they had plans to but that was well over a year ago. They're such losers, lol.

[betts]

I've driven by fairly regularly in the past, but not at all in the last few months. I have noticed, coming back from the airport, that a lot of progress has been made, but haven't made the time to check it out up close.

[sgray]

You got me interested. I drove around there again tonight. Didn't they say that the new crosstown wasn't due to open until 2012? Cause it sure looks to me like they are moving very quickly. I can't imagine at the speed they are going that it will take that long.

[Insider]

You got me interested. I drove around there again tonight. Didn't they say that the new crosstown wasn't due to open until 2012? Cause it sure looks to me like they are moving very quickly. I can't imagine at the speed they are going that it will take that long.

The entire project is supposed to be completed in 2012. They are supposed to open the new highway and begin work on the new boulevard in mid 2010 (I think).

Also, Shields is supposed to be open by midyear.

[warreng88]

The entire project is supposed to be completed in 2012. They are supposed to open the new highway and begin work on the new boulevard in mid 2010 (I think).

When speaking about the idea of a new Central Park in the State of the City address:

"Keep in mind, the interstate should be relocated in 2012. The resulting boulevard that will be built along the current interstate alignment should be in place by 2014."

[OKCnBA]

Would love to see some pics. Having been transplanted to the Tulsa area 3 years ago I don't get to follow OKC construction projects the way I used to. Thanks in advance!

[mburlison]

Somewhere there is a good link to the ODOT overlays over the current route etc... showing the current and future highways and boulevard plans.

[Bobby821]

Anyone know when they are going to open the Shields bridge again??? Been close to or a little over a yr now that it has been closed.

[OKCnBA]

...Somebody here posted the link to the web-site that has the aerial pictures of the progress.

Anyone know the link?

[LordGerald]

Are there other people out there like me who like to drive down (or up, or over) every few months and check out the construction of the new Crosstown? Or am I alone on this one?

I looked through the current 11 pages of this forum and could not find a single thread pertaining to the ongoing construction of this project.

So if interested, please respond. I went on Saturday to check it out & I was going to go on Sunday and take some pics to hopefully post for those who do care, but I didn't. Anyway, if any of you have taken the time to notice the bridge and bridge piers being constructed over Agnew Avenue, my question to you is, the main bridge...is that all of it? Only because they say that this is going to be a 10 lane project and that sure doesn't look like 10 lanes. There is the little eastbound bridge on the south end of that project that will connect into the future boulevard but I was wondering if they are going to build another bridge (hence, they are currently adding on to the north end of the bridge over May Avenue to either make additional running lanes for the I-44 northbound exit or they are scooting the current I-40 over to be able to make room for tying in the new Crosstown in with the current Crosstown).

If anything, my thinking is that it is going to end up being 8 lanes over Agnew and the additional lanes for the rest of the new Crosstown will be entrance and exit lanes to and from just east of Agnew.

Also, has anyone else noticed how high the Pennsylvania bridge is and how far it's going to have to come down to meet up with Reno Avenue?! It's going to be a 45 degree incline to have to make up for the short distance between the two. Poor planning?! The only reason I can come up with for why they built that so high is because the rail line will have to pass underneath Penn on its own grade separate from the new highway. So it will be interesting to see if Penn will have direct access with Reno.

That is all for now.

Here's a link: 40 Forward: Oklahoma's I-40 Crosstown Expressway

[metro]

OKCisOK4me, I think you're the only one that checks out the progress of the new I-40.

[SouthsideSooner]

Thanks for the link, LordGerald. I wasn't aware of that site. There are a lot of excellent pics that show the progress of this project. The broad views also show that on a grand scale, they are still just getting started.

It would be nice if some of the public works stimulous dollars coming out of Washington would go to accelerate the time line of this project. This project is about as "shovel ready" as it gets.

[OKCisOK4me]

OKCisOK4me, I think you're the only one that checks out the progress of the new I-40.

Well, considering this is the most popular thread I've ever created, I'd have to disagree with ya ;-) And if you are right, that's okay with me!

LordGerald, thanks for that link. Guess I don't have to go take pics now--although they do need to update those videos. Notice in the railroad bridge video that Shields is still open. That's gotta be from two summers ago.

Also downtown OKC looks aesthetically pleasing to my eye in a grainy video that is choppy from a helicopter in the air!

[OKCisOK4me]

I just sent them an email. Here it is:

To whom it may concern,

Just wondering if these videos will ever be updated. Shields Boulevard is still open in the second video and there are many other things I noticed in the other two videos but I'm sure you guys know that they are old. I know it costs money to do this and maybe you don't have it in place but it sure would be nice to get an update.

Also, how about a live cam? I emailed someone about this a few years back and they replied 'oh yeah, we're gonna do that. Just pay attention to the local media because we'll be announcing that here pretty quick...blah, blah, blah'. As you may guess, this has not happened yet--three years later. So anyway, just wondering if someone in your department can give a definitive answer on this one.

The project seems to be moving along pretty swiftly. Any chance that it is to be done before 2012? I want to drive on it before the end of the Mayan Longcount Calendar. ;-)

Thanks for any information you can provide.

Sincerely,
This Guy Here

[OKCisOK4me]

I just sent them an email. Here it is:

To whom it may concern,

Just wondering if these videos will ever be updated. Shields Boulevard is still open in the second video and there are many other things I noticed in the other two videos but I'm sure you guys know that they are old. I know it costs money to do this and maybe you don't have it in place but it sure would be nice to get an update.

Also, how about a live cam? I emailed someone about this a few years back and they replied 'oh yeah, we're gonna do that. Just pay attention to the local media because we'll be announcing that here pretty quick...blah, blah, blah'. As you may guess, this has not happened yet--three years later. So anyway, just wondering if someone in your department can give a definitive answer on this one.

The project seems to be moving along pretty swiftly. Any chance that it is to be done before 2012? I want to drive on it before the end of the Mayan Longcount Calendar. ;-)

Thanks for any information you can provide.

Sincerely,
This Guy Here

Quoting myself so that I can show you guys the reply I got:

Mr. (This Guy Here),
I agree that the videos are old - we have not collected new ones recently, but hope to soon. I believe I was likely the one that told you that we would have the live cam feed - we even worked this out with a camera mount approved on one of the buildings downtown that would give a view of the entire corridor. However, due to budget concerns, the idea was killed. We still have the agreement in place and I would like to do it, but with the current financial constraints, it is difficult to justify. We have not been updating the information on the website recently as we were informed that it did not meet with the ADA requirements. Once that effort is complete and we have updated everything, I would like to announce the website and have people utilize for traffic and closure information.

There is significant progress being made on numerous projects (nine let to bid - seven underway and two already complete, another nine to let before switching traffic). We are currently working on the schedule and hope to be able to beat the expiration of the Mayan calendar - - since I have worked on the Crosstown for nearly 9 years of my career, I did believe that the world centered on this project, but not to the extent that the world ended upon the completion of it.

If you have any other comments or ways/suggestions on how to improve the website, please let me know.

Thanks,
John B.


I love the fact that John B. had enough heart to be just as humorous about the Mayan Calendar!

[DelCamino]

I love the fact that John B. had enough heart to be just as humorous about the Mayan Calendar!

I've had the pleasure to be in several meetings with John B. He's a good, good guy. Easy going, a good, hard worker.

[jbrown84]

Only because they say that this is going to be a 10 lane project and that sure doesn't look like 10 lanes.

I've been thinking the same thing.

Cause it sure looks to me like they are moving very quickly. I can't imagine at the speed they are going that it will take that long.

Been thinking this as well.


I've only really been paying attention to what can be seen from the current I-40, but have been meaning to drive down and get a better look.

The other thing that has been puzzling me is how the new bridge near Bass Pro fits into this. My best guess it it's the bridge for Lincoln/Byers to cross over the new 40, but it's at an odd angle for that.

[Martin]

^
my thinking is that it's supposed to be part of a cloverleaf that goes from the boulevard that will be created out of the existing i-40 that feeds into the eastbound side of the new i-40.

-M

[warreng88]

^
my thinking is that it's supposed to be part of a cloverleaf that goes from the boulevard that will be created out of the existing i-40 that feeds into the eastbound side of the new i-40.

-M

Exactly. Here is a link to the renderings and you can tell that the part you speak of is going to go over the new I-40 from the boulevard and go eastbound.

http://okc.about.com/gi/dynamic/offs...ial050630b.pdf

[jbrown84]

Why such a wide bridge for an on-ramp?

[Martin]

why such a wide bridge for an on-ramp?

dunno... maybe some lanes will go to eastbound i-40 and others will empty onto byers?

also, shields is supposed to be open by midyear.

they need to get more north/south streets opened pronto... right now, i believe penn, exchange, western and shields are all closed.

-M

[jbrown84]

dunno... maybe some lanes will go to eastbound i-40 and others will empty onto byers?

-M

Upon looking closely at the linked map, it looks like maybe that's the case, but it's not clear.