I-35 / I-240 Exchange

[bombermwc]

Well if they are shifting it, then at least HOPEFULLY that means they will be able to open the new bridge and move traffic, and not try to squeeze it all onto one bridge with one lane each way....shudder.

Long and painful, but worth it in the end.

[baralheia]

Looking more carefully at the graphics that ODOT has published... I think I'm wrong, actually. The new bridges will mostly be in the same location as the existing bridges. The difference is the old bridges currently cross I-35 at an angle; this will be changed so that I-240 is perfectly perpendicular to I-35 as they cross each other. What this means is the west abutment of the eastbound bridge will be immediately south of the existing bridge, but the east abutment will be in the same place (more or less) than the current bridge. This, unfortunately, will most likely result in two-way traffic being squeezed onto the westbound bridge.

[baralheia]

Dirt work is moving quite quickly on the current phase of the project. Wish I had a drone to get an aerial picture of the progress - but it's pretty clear they are pushing hard to get the new SW corner service road alignment completed as soon as possible to clear room for the new ramp alignment.

[emtefury]

The on ramp from I240 east to I35 south is now open. The old ramp is shut down. There is still plenty of construction going on.

[Robert_M]

Is the traffic flow better now that it is on the new ramp compared to pre-construction? I tried to avoid it at all costs if it is an option.

[SoonerDave]

Is the traffic flow better now that it is on the new ramp compared to pre-construction? I tried to avoid it at all costs if it is an option.

So far, yes. The closure of the Shields entrance and double-laning of that i35 ramp should work a small wonder while we go back to waiting for the rest of the rebuild sometime in 2136...#sarcasm

[emtefury]

Yes the flow is better.

[jn1780]

So far, yes. The closure of the Shields entrance and double-laning of that i35 ramp should work a small wonder while we go back to waiting for the rest of the rebuild sometime in 2136...#sarcasm

2036 wouldn't be far from the truth.

[vaflyer]

New letting schedule for this project

Phase IB: November 2020
Phase IV: November 2020
Phase II: November 2022
Phase III: FFY 2025

[ChrisHayes]

New letting schedule for this project

Phase IB: November 2020
Phase IV: November 2020
Phase II: November 2022
Phase III: FFY 2025

I've been wondering when they were going to resume this. I hate getting on 35 north from 240. It can be dangerous at certain times of day.

[Plutonic Panda]

New letting schedule for this project

Phase IB: November 2020
Phase IV: November 2020
Phase II: November 2022
Phase III: FFY 2025

So realistically this interchange won’t be finished until 2027. What a joke.

[jonny d]

So realistically this interchange won’t be finished until 2027. What a joke.

Oklahoma only has so much money to spend. And it is far less than most states.

[Plutonic Panda]

Oklahoma only has so much money to spend. And it is far less than most states.

Oklahoma needs to raise its taxes a bit to better fund itself.

[gopokes88]

Oklahoma only has so much money to spend. And it is far less than most states.

Actually if they sold a bond to fund it we could do it in 2 years, and the interest on the bond would be less than the inflation we get hit with by waiting 10 years to do it all.

[TheTravellers]

Actually if they sold a bond to fund it we could do it in 2 years, and the interest on the bond would be less than the inflation we get hit with by waiting 10 years to do it all.

Yep, same thing's been said on here for years, no clue why OK can't figure this out, not all debt is bad.

[David]

Aren't we limited by what the state constitution lets ODOT do? We'd have to pass a state question to adjust that, and there apparently just hasn't been any political interest in pushing for one.

[bombermwc]

This is why i 'd like to see a 5-10c gas tax. It may need to go up as cars get more fuel efficient, but for now the more you use, the more you pay. That could go a long way to helping inject some much needed cash into the ODOT projects and keep them as toll-free projects.

[HangryHippo]

I'd like to see all of the interstates turned into toll roads where a user pays for what they drive - hopefully the tolls would sustain them and this would free up other funding to be used for roads elsewhere in the state.

[SoonerScot]

Actually if they sold a bond to fund it we could do it in 2 years, and the interest on the bond would be less than the inflation we get hit with by waiting 10 years to do it all.

I, too, have been saying this for years. It's completely crazy that a project which could take 3 years max takes 10+ years to finish. If they would have sold bonds for say the I-235/I-44 interchange it would have been completed 6 years ago and cost less even with the interest on the bonds. I think a happy medium would be that only projects over $50 million are allowed to sell bonds.

[baralheia]

New letting schedule for this project

Phase IB: November 2020
Phase IV: November 2020
Phase II: November 2022
Phase III: FFY 2025

Has ODOT changed the construction phases for this project? If not, this schedule seems suspect. Phase IV was the westbound lanes of I-240 across I-35; this phase can't be constructed before phases II and III are complete as those two phases realign the eastbound lanes of I-240 out of the way of the new westbound lanes.

For what it's worth, the most recent sequencing document from ODOT's website, updated October 25, 2018, show all four remaining phases pushed out to FY2021. ODOT's webpage for this project is here: https://www.ok.gov/odot/Crossroads_Renewal_240.html

[bombermwc]

I'd like to see all of the interstates turned into toll roads where a user pays for what they drive - hopefully the tolls would sustain them and this would free up other funding to be used for roads elsewhere in the state.

We do that already, it's called taxes. We shouldn't have toll roads at all. We're already paying for them. We've been sold a load of crap for 50 years about how roads would go back to the state after they were paid for. And yet, here we are. The Turner is still toll.....

[Plutonic Panda]

We do that already, it's called taxes. We shouldn't have toll roads at all. We're already paying for them. We've been sold a load of crap for 50 years about how roads would go back to the state after they were paid for. And yet, here we are. The Turner is still toll.....

+1000!

Not to mention the car has the highest capital costs for its users.

[BoulderSooner]

We do that already, it's called taxes. We shouldn't have toll roads at all. We're already paying for them. We've been sold a load of crap for 50 years about how roads would go back to the state after they were paid for. And yet, here we are. The Turner is still toll.....

that was changed in the 50's

[HangryHippo]

We do that already, it's called taxes. We shouldn't have toll roads at all. We're already paying for them. We've been sold a load of crap for 50 years about how roads would go back to the state after they were paid for. And yet, here we are. The Turner is still toll.....

And they're not keeping up. If we're going to have interstate highways, they need to be tolled. The taxes can pay for local roads. Otherwise, we need to modify interstate travel to either air or train.

[jn1780]

Regarding 8 year plan. I noticed a new I40 bridge over I44 got bumped up significantly on the timeline. Maybe part of the reason some of the other projects moved back.