I-240 between Shields & I-35

[earlywinegareth]

This afternoon...yet again I saw a really bad multi-vehicle wreck on eastbound 240 near Shields. I've seen numerous bad wrecks in this stretch of road. The traffic is very heavy and backs up from the off-ramp to southbound I-35. People are flying thru there and realize too late that the right lane has stopped.

Seems to me ODOT should put up big signs that say, "CAUTION - ENTERING HIGH ACCIDENT AREA - SLOW DOWN NOW".

Something needs to be done.

[Tritone]

You're right. Folks need to be more aware of what is going on. Probably be more effective to find a way to send a text message to motorists in the area; more people would notice it!

[dmoor82]

Yea.......about a year ago I was exiting 240 to get on 35 and I was behind a Ford F350 towing a trailor and one of the trailors ramps fell off and flew into my car.I know this could have happened anywhere but i think it happened because he was going too fast around that corner!

[Thunder]

ODOT don't care. They don't want to do anything about that area. All they cared about was ruining a perfectly good apartment complex nearby.

[jn1780]

ODOT don't care. They don't want to do anything about that area. All they cared about was ruining a perfectly good apartment complex nearby.

I believe they did that before the economy blewup in 2008 and other projects got pushed ahead. The interchange was suppose to be a couple of years away, so much for that happening.

[ljbab728]

I believe they did that before the economy blewup in 2008 and other projects got pushed ahead. The interchange was suppose to be a couple of years away, so much for that happening.

Current plans show a budget of about $33M which isn't fully funded and a construction schedule from 2015 through 2018. We'll see.


http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/cwp-8..._okc_metro.pdf

[rcjunkie]

You're right. Folks need to be more aware of what is going on. Probably be more effective to find a way to send a text message to motorists in the area; more people would notice it!

The traffic/driving in this area is bad enough without trying to read an incoming text message.

[Snowman]

This afternoon...yet again I saw a really bad multi-vehicle wreck on eastbound 240 near Shields. I've seen numerous bad wrecks in this stretch of road. The traffic is very heavy and backs up from the off-ramp to southbound I-35. People are flying thru there and realize too late that the right lane has stopped.

Seems to me ODOT should put up big signs that say, "CAUTION - ENTERING HIGH ACCIDENT AREA - SLOW DOWN NOW".

Something needs to be done.

When they first put in the large message boards approaching some of the interchanges it seemed like that might have been a good use to either alert drivers of incidents or get people to avoid the area if possible, but after several years of them being around it seems odd they almost never have anything but very generic, often obvious messages when their even is one.

[bombermwc]

Well the signs aren't in places that make them of any good. They usually are after the point at which you have options. For exmaple:
I-40 westbound near Westminister. The split for 240 is a mile east of there so you've already passed the bypass by the time you see the sign.
I-44 eastbound near 29th st. Again, your possibility of taking an alternate route is already passed. In fact you're now sitting IN the traffic problem.
240 doesn't have anything at all - and metro traffic reports are worthless. I've sat in accident traffic for 20 minutes and still there's no word about it. I can check my google map on my phone and see where it is, but the radio still doesn't have anything. Or, i'm driving through an area without an accident and they report there is one.

Beyond that, the major problem on 240 in that area is the on-ramp from Sheilds. Traffic getting on the highway has to deal with this fun:
1 - you merge into an exit only lane for 35 southbound.
2 - once you cross that, you are also in the lane for the traffic heading for the 35 northbound doughnut
3 - that 35 N traffic also has to battle the traffic coming from 35 southbound to 240 eastbound.
4 - so basically, you have to cross 3 lanes of traffic if you want to flow through the area.

I can guarantee that if they can find a way to flow the traffic from Sheilds without it having to cross so many lanes, they will reduce the accident rate in that 1/4 mile stretch (that's ALWAYS where it is). Either flyover for it to merge on the left or create a splitting onramp for shields traffic so you flyover for 240 and merge with 35 south traffic or something. But that have to find a way to better correct the 25 southbound flow before they can do anything. If that traffic could flow at all instead of sitting at a stand-still, you'd have a much better flow all around. That only gets corrected if you don't make the 2 merging lanes of 25 southbound onramp traffic, merge into 35...instead, give them their own lane that does NOT turn into an exit only 1/4 mile down the road.

[Easy180]

The folks who don't notice slowing cars in front probably wont notice the signs

Need to invent signs that can tailor the message. "yo dude in the Odyssey"

[earlywinegareth]

Now you have drivers doing crzy stuff to jump ahead in the line that forms twice daily (morning and evening rush), and sometimes on the weekends. I've seen drivers pass cars on the right median, and other drivers will cruise up to the interchange and force their way into the right lane to make the exit. I honked at a dude yesterday for doing this, he flipped me off. I've seen cars come to a complete stop in the middle lane while the far left lane is speeding by at 60+. Seems to me the state could be sued by someone hurt here for failing to control traffic.

[Kerry]

I guess more of these kinds of signs are out of the question.

[okclee]

Once every couple weeks I like to drive on the southside to hone my defensive driving skills.

Anywhere in this area along I35 & 240 is a good challenge but don't underestimate sw59th, sw44th, and I really enjoy the challenge along sw29th.

I've used this practice for many years now, and I do feel it has worked very well. I figure I am probably in the minority as being a licensed driver in this area and definitely in the minority with having legit auto insurance.

[ljbab728]

Once every couple weeks I like to drive on the southside to hone my defensive driving skills.

Anywhere in this area along I35 & 240 is a good challenge but don't underestimate sw59th, sw44th, and I really enjoy the challenge along sw29th.

I've used this practice for many years now, and I do feel it has worked very well. I figure I am probably in the minority as being a licensed driver in this area and definitely in the minority with having legit auto insurance.

This is certainly not limited to the south side. You might like to practice your skills on NW Expressway for a while.

[bombermwc]

A trip through Dallas is always good to hone the "zip-around" skills....as fell as the finger.

[earlywinegareth]

I emailed ODOT and got prompt response:

Yes I understand your concerns, we have put message boards out in the past. This helps for a while until drivers get use to it and it become just another sign on the road. We will put one out again hopefully it will help for a while.
Rick Lowry
Trans. Manager
Okla. Dept. of Trans.
Div. 4 Annex
405-319-3580

I don't recall ever seeing signage warning of high accident areas. Glad to see they're at least being responsive. I wonder what the signs will say.

[kevinpate]

... I wonder what the signs will say.

I think it oughta be direct about it

HEY! SLOW DOWN
OR CRAP PANTS.
CHOOSE NOW.

[MrZ]

That area has always been a high-risk area and will remain so until the interchange is built. I was in an accident there in 1989 while getting off Shields onto 240 heading East and had to sit at the yield sign waiting for an opening and the guy behind me was looking back at the traffic and slammed into me at 50mph. Luckily I was in a 70's Lincoln and the other guy was in a Honda. I had a few dings on the bumper and his whole front end was destroyed. I did have a nasty case of whiplash though, and a trip to Jamaica the next week that was mostly spent lying on the beach and drinking Rum because I was too sore to do much. Now my kid is driving and I really try to convince him to stay away from that area.

[Tritone]

Regarding my text message comment (POST 2): Sometimes (often) my attempt at humor is lost. Seems to me, as I see drivers and people in general, many are more aware of what is on their life support systems (phones) than what is happening in the real world. I'll try to avoid sarcasm in my remarks.

[bombermwc]

They did put a "talking" sign out there again. But as mr. Lowry says, once people get used to it being there, they just ignore it.

We could go super elaborate and run the corridor like a tunnel. Put the yellow lights over each lane with the radar guns. "CAUTION, HIGH TRAFFIC AREA. REDUCE SPEED NOW!" Then you get the red flasher if you're going faster than what the radar is programmed for. You could even link it to a camera on the other side of the bridge (much like those on traffic lights that they use now instead of a sensor in the ground). If there is stopped traffic within so much of a distance, the system is activated back at Santa Fe or something. If not, then the speed limit goes to full speed. Make it dynamic and adjustable to the situation with no action required to work the system. It could be done (in fact I've been through several tunnels that use that very system.....Mobile, AL for example). But they are expensive....and I think we're all hoping that the new interchange will correct the problems.

The nice thing is, this type of system is designed for a narrow area just like this. Bad news is that it points out the flaws in the design of the highway right there....and some ding dong that approved that design is in need of a whipping.

[dmoor82]

Just seen on kwtv9 that there was a deadly wreck on this interchange either last night or early this morning!I'll try to post a link later!

[kevinpate]

Just seen on kwtv9 that there was a deadly wreck on this interchange either last night or early this morning!I'll try to post a link later!

There was one last night before 10:30 pm on east side of I-35, on joint exit lane prior to committing to either E or W 240. Son and lovely were headed to airport and needed to skip the exit and come back to 240 from the north.

A cycle and small black car were apparently involved. I do not know other details.

Sorry for the families involved, but pleased to have lovely daughter and grandbabies in for Easter week, and to have elder son coming for the weekend as well.

[venture]

About the only quick fix they can do now is to close the on ramp from Shields to I-240 east bound. Make people take 74th around to 82nd to get on I-35 North Bound and to route back around to I-240 east bound. If someone wants to get on I-35 south bound, they would be required to just stay on Shields until it merges in.

Yeah it may cause some headaches, but it would reduce cars from zipping over cutting people off. The other issue is traffic coming from I-240 Westbound to I-35 southbound. Right now everything just merges together without yielding. The only thing that I can see working, as a short term fix, is to close the far right southbound lane on I-35 after I-240 - make it an exit only. Then have the I-240 westbound traffic enter I-35 into that lane and I-240 eastbound enter into the current lane (that eventually becomes an exit only. This would at least keep traffic flowing, I think, and allow people more time to merger. It may cause some traffic backups on I-35 north of 240, but this would only be a temp fix until the intersection is rebuilt.

[bombermwc]

^ As much of a pain in the ass it would be...I would agree with this plan. Yes, it's a bit more inconvenient to go down to 82nd, but at least you can split the north and south bound traffic out. And the traffic merging on all those directions also have their own lane so they don't have to interfere with normal flowing traffic.

[Roadhawg]

There was one last night before 10:30 pm on east side of I-35, on joint exit lane prior to committing to either E or W 240. Son and lovely were headed to airport and needed to skip the exit and come back to 240 from the north.

A cycle and small black car were apparently involved. I do not know other details.

Sorry for the families involved, but pleased to have lovely daughter and grandbabies in for Easter week, and to have elder son coming for the weekend as well.

The man on the motorcycle died in the accident. He was a friend of mine and a really good guy and experienced rider. He was also a Viet Nam Vet and will be missed by many.