Biggest traffic issues in the metro...

[warreng88]

I wanted to know what people think the biggest traffic bottlenecks are in the metro. Now, let's assume weather is normal (no ice or snow) and no wrecks. Here are a few of mine:

1. I-35/I-240 NB in the morning, SB in the evening
2. I-40 at I-44 eastbound
3. Broadway Extension from Britton to 33rd and WB on the turnpike
4. Weekdays evening Hefner parkway NB from 50th, intermittently, through 164th. I know there are some slow downs with NWE and 63rd merging, then it's pretty good for a mile, then it backs up past the turnpike

I know there are a lot of intersections in the Mustang/Yukon area that get backed up, much like Edmond did 10 years ago before they expanded most of the streets.

[Pete]

I-235 southbound anywhere near I-40 has a pretty good backup in the evening rush hour, just like I-35 to the south.

Living near I-44 I've noticed it is really starting to backup westbound in the evening rush, especially at the 39th Street and Lake Hefner Parkway curve/split.

[jedicurt]

152 to Westbound I-44.. 152 is often backed up to Meridian, and sometimes all the way to MacArthur.

usually starts around 3:30 and ends about 7

[BoulderSooner]

I-235 southbound anywhere near I-40 has a pretty good backup in the evening rush hour, just like I-35 to the south.

Living near I-44 I've noticed it is really starting to backup westbound in the evening rush, especially at the 39th Street and Lake Hefner Parkway curve/split.

the 44 over 40 bridge causes 44 to back up all the way to where you are talking about ..

[G.Walker]

I-35 in the morning from Norman/Moore into the city gets pretty backed up. And don't let be a wreck, you can forget it. This is the probably the busiest morning traffice artery in all of the metro.

[ChrisHayes]

152 to Westbound I-44.. 152 is often backed up to Meridian, and sometimes all the way to MacArthur.

usually starts around 3:30 and ends about 7

I live in SW OKC I intentionally drive down 54th, to Portland, to 74th Street to avoid that stretch of highway. I don't get the bottlenecking there. Though, part of it is people switching to go from 240 to I-44 at the very last minute.

[ChrisHayes]

Here's a good off highway issue, that's been an issue for 10+ years. Going north on MacArthur towards Reno. You're approaching the I-40 overpass, and MacArthur northbound at SW 5th will have the green, but because the light just before the overpass is still red, traffic can't flow. I encountered this a few weeks ago, and sat through several light changes before I was finally able to go under I-40. It was frustrating 10 years ago, when I lived in the area, now it's beyond ridiculous. A fine example of terrible light timing in the city.

[OKCDrummer77]

Westbound I-44 on the northwest side: The right lane backs up from the 66/74 junction to between Penn and May most evenings because there's so much traffic either going west on 39th or north on the LHP. The two lanes that take the flyover to turn south can be a crapshoot. One day, it's flowing freely, the next day, it takes 10 minutes just to clear the bridge. The jockeying for position once 2 lanes become 1 at the bottom of that flyover can be a source of some intense road rage.

[warreng88]

the 44 over 40 bridge causes 44 to back up all the way to where you are talking about ..

No amount of signage can help people understand that east bound exits left, and westbound exits right... The amount of times I have seen people try to cross over last minute in front of Mathis Brothers is endless.

[warreng88]

Westbound I-44 on the northwest side: The right lane backs up from the 66/74 junction to between Penn and May most evenings because there's so much traffic either going west on 39th or north on the LHP. The two lanes that take the flyover to turn south can be a crapshoot. One day, it's flowing freely, the next day, it takes 10 minutes just to clear the bridge. The jockeying for position once 2 lanes become 1 at the bottom of that flyover can be a source of some intense road rage.

I see that about every day because I take WB I-44 and exit on May.

[Pete]

I saw something in the last couple of months (can't remember where) and it had traffic counts for all the major streets and highways in and around OKC.

The highest of them all was NB I-44 right before it splits between Lake Hefner Parkway and that big easterly curve/exit.

[Pete]

This wasn't exactly what I saw regarding traffic counts, but it does show that NB I-44 just before 39th has a daily traffic count of 165,000 cars, which is the highest I could find on the map (I'm sure others will correct me if there are higher #'s elsewhere):

https://acog.public.ms2soft.com/tcds...?loc=Acog&mod=

[warreng88]

I saw something in the last couple of months (can't remember where) and it had traffic counts for all the major streets and highways in and around OKC.

The highest of them all was NB I-44 right before it splits between Lake Hefner Parkway and that big easterly curve/exit.

Yep, that whole intersection is bad. To OKC Drummer's point, going WB (SB?) on I-44 and changing to Hefner parkway is poorly laid out. Also, you are dealing with people going from NB to exit on NW 50th and then they have to cross with the people merging as well. Unless they want to tear it down and start over with a five stack, not a whole lot they can do.

[Bill Robertson]

This is making me very glad I go in at 6ish and get off at 2ish.

[G.Walker]

Traffic counts doesn't mean that its bottleneck, just means a lot of cars travel on that strech of road a day.

There can be arteries with less traffic, but has more stop and go traffic just because per time of day, access to other roads, and area.

[jompster]

Here's a good off highway issue, that's been an issue for 10+ years. Going north on MacArthur towards Reno. You're approaching the I-40 overpass, and MacArthur northbound at SW 5th will have the green, but because the light just before the overpass is still red, traffic can't flow. I encountered this a few weeks ago, and sat through several light changes before I was finally able to go under I-40. It was frustrating 10 years ago, when I lived in the area, now it's beyond ridiculous. A fine example of terrible light timing in the city.

I work on the service road and that stoplight is maddening no matter if you're coming off of SW 5th or down MacArthur. They come out and re-time it often and within a couple weeks it's off again.

[jompster]

Westbound I-44 on the northwest side: The right lane backs up from the 66/74 junction to between Penn and May most evenings because there's so much traffic either going west on 39th or north on the LHP. The two lanes that take the flyover to turn south can be a crapshoot. One day, it's flowing freely, the next day, it takes 10 minutes just to clear the bridge. The jockeying for position once 2 lanes become 1 at the bottom of that flyover can be a source of some intense road rage.

This whole interchange is the most maddening. It doesn't help that people read the sign that says "LANE ENDS - MERGE RIGHT" and they merge left, then they get to the end and their lane ends and they get mad when they have to drive on the chevrons. It's not any better coming the other direction where all of I-44 has to squeeze into one exit lane to continue eastbound.

[scottk]

Edmond. All of it.

But in reality, the fact that the north side of the metro has had a lot of growth, there needs to be a better established east/west route north of the Kilpatrick and also a north/south route between Portland/I-35. Ideally, Broadway Extension needs to be extended as a freeway up to Waterloo, but there is really no space to do this. Covell needs to look more like Northwest Expressway with traffic flow and dedicated turn lanes, but this has already been diminished by four stoplights between Santa Fe and Kelly.

The amount of traffic grinding to a stop daily coming back into Edmond and the northern side of OKC from the highway/freeways is becoming quite a problem.

[BoulderSooner]

Edmond. All of it.

But in reality, the fact that the north side of the metro has had a lot of growth, there needs to be a better established east/west route north of the Kilpatrick and also a north/south route between Portland/I-35. Ideally, Broadway Extension needs to be extended as a freeway up to Waterloo, but there is really no space to do this. Covell needs to look more like Northwest Expressway with traffic flow and dedicated turn lanes, but this has already been diminished by four stoplights between Santa Fe and Kelly.

The amount of traffic grinding to a stop daily coming back into Edmond and the northern side of OKC from the highway/freeways is becoming quite a problem.

covell is largly a residential street ... the Edmond plan to make covell a blvd .. is great it does not need to be Nw expressway like ..

[MagzOK]

ACOG needs to be doing traffic studies regarding adding a highway from I35 over to 74 in southern Logan County, even if it's a turnpike. If Logan County was smart, they'd be pushing for something like that with service roads that could end up being a cash cow for the county in terms of earned taxes associated with development.

[_Cramer_]

ACOG needs to be doing traffic studies regarding adding a highway from I35 over to 74 in southern Logan County, even if it's a turnpike. If Logan County was smart, they'd be pushing for something like that with service roads that could end up being a cash cow for the county in terms of earned taxes associated with development.

YES! I don't care if it's another turnpike spur over to 74, but there needs to be something done up north.

We are in the area and you can forget going north on I-35 in the afternoon. 2nd Street exit backs up. Then, only having Danforth and Covell exits until Waterloo makes that entire stretch of 35 a nightmare.

[bison34]

To me, it's still I-235 and I-40. That intersection backs up all the way to well south of I-240.

[PoliSciGuy]

ACOG needs to be doing traffic studies regarding adding a highway from I35 over to 74 in southern Logan County, even if it's a turnpike. If Logan County was smart, they'd be pushing for something like that with service roads that could end up being a cash cow for the county in terms of earned taxes associated with development.

Preach. Going east-west through Edmond anytime between 3pm-8pm is just a slog. Charter Oak is still relatively under developed yet not too far north of Edmond where it could turn into a great corridor for the county. Though that requires foresight and strong government action, so I'm not holding my breath.

[Scott5114]

No amount of signage can help people understand that east bound exits left, and westbound exits right... The amount of times I have seen people try to cross over last minute in front of Mathis Brothers is endless.

There's an interchange just like this one in Kansas City, KS. Wish ODOT would just copy their signs for it, because you really cannot get any clearer than this:

[scottk]

covell is largly a residential street ... the Edmond plan to make covell a blvd .. is great it does not need to be Nw expressway like ..

You are correct, NW Expressway is a little too ambitious for this corridor, but if Covell from I-35 to Portland/HWY74 could look at least look like the part of Covell by Kelly with a center median, and proper turn lanes at stop lights. Edmond is slowly making progress towards this, but there are still large chunks of Covell that go from 6 or 4 lanes down to two lane roads with no shoulder.