I-235 / I-44 Interchange

[Scott5114]

I-40 Eastbound exit at Sunnylane Rd. Exiting there is like a driving course where you have to dodge left/right around a cone.

The ones I'm thinking of on CA-110 (built in 1940 if the markings on the bridge are to be believed) make I-40 in Del City look like the paragon of freeway design. You can definitely see how by the time I-40 was built, we had advanced from the designs used on CA-110, but we still had quite a way to go.

[Plutonic Panda]

Yeah but CA-110 is fun as hell to drive just as long as you don’t have merge onto it from local streets lol... it’s so fun to haul ass down that road late at night.

Currently there is a proposal to narrow it from three to two lanes each way. I’m not a fan of that proposal though it would allow for merging lanes. Widening the road is virtually impossible without extreme property impacts or vertical construction.

[Scott5114]

Oh, I'm not disputing that. When I make it out that way I'm planning on taking a drive on it just for the experience of driving on one of the first freeways in the US. It's a testament to how far transportation in the US has come over the last 80 years.

[Plutonic Panda]

The contrast between that road and the newly rebuilt I-5 in OC or the widened 405 through the Sepulveda pass is incredible. All three of those freeways are absolutely beautiful but it is amazing how far they have evolved from one another.

[Pete]

[FighttheGoodFight]

It feels so close, yet so far from being done.

[BoulderSooner]

It feels so close, yet so far from being done.

once the new east to north 44 ramp /63rd exit opens it will start to go pretty quickly again ..

[Pete]

once the new east to north 44 ramp /63rd exit opens it will start to go pretty quickly again ..

Right, everything hinges on that then they will be relatively clear to finish things up.

Will be fun to watch it all come together, especially after all this time.

[HangryHippo]

Based on the pictures, it doesn't look like they have THAT far to go on that ramp. When do we expect that portion to be complete?

[Pete]

I'm not sure of the timing, but it seems the expedient way would be just to close the northbound offramp to 63rd until they can get the flyovers connected.

If they went that route, it seems they could complete that part pretty quickly.

[HangryHippo]

I'm not sure of the timing, but it seems the expedient way would be just to close the northbound offramp to 63rd until they can get the flyovers connected.

If they went that route, it seems they could complete that part pretty quickly.

Agreed. Just close it and wrap it up.

[catch22]

By looking at the photos Pete provided, here is how I imagine they will phase this next series of alignments.

1. They will probably open EB->NB flyover, which will allow them to close the EB->NB cloverleaf.
2. That will in turn allow them to pave the area south of the NB bridge.
3. At the same time they will probably be able to shift WB->NB onto the permanent alignment through the construction zone which will allow them to pave north of the NB bridge.
4. Once that paving is done, they can shift NW 63rd traffic onto the NB bridge and use the already constructed bridge to move traffic towards that intersection.
5. By the photo it looks like they already are working on paving what will be the right-most lane of the exit lane that meets NW 63rd. This will allow them to close the temporary exit and install the retaining wall and make the exit road the full width.

[Pete]

Oklahoman reporting tonight that the Eastbound 44 to NB 235 flyover will open tomorrow.

Also said that the NB offramp to NW 63rd will be closed in a few months for about 45 days while they continue to rework that section of the intersection.

Looks like they are planning to finish the entire intersection by this fall.

https://oklahoman.com/article/568165...second-flyover

[catch22]

Looks like I was wrong! Surprised they are gonna close it, but that will definitely speed things up!

[I235+I44]

Oklahoman reporting tonight that the Eastbound 44 to NB 235 flyover will open tomorrow.

Also said that the NB offramp to NW 63rd will be closed in a few months for about 45 days while they continue to rework that section of the intersection.

Looks like they are planning to finish the entire intersection by this fall.

https://oklahoman.com/article/568165...second-flyover

Great to hear; actually a bit surprised that they are already opening it tomorrow. I didn't expect it to be soon; I'll take it though.
I can't wait to start using excuses to use both flyovers nightly (multiple days a week). I commute back from downtown and once in a while, pickup dinner from the Belle Isle area; now, it will be much more frequent until I get bored. Exciting!!!

[jerrywall]

Oklahoman reporting tonight that the Eastbound 44 to NB 235 flyover will open tomorrow.

Also said that the NB offramp to NW 63rd will be closed in a few months for about 45 days while they continue to rework that section of the intersection.

Looks like they are planning to finish the entire intersection by this fall.

https://oklahoman.com/article/568165...second-flyover

So how are they connecting the flyover in? Did they fill out more of the missing sections since last week, or are they doing a tight angle connection over to that one lane?

[LakeEffect]

So how are they connecting the flyover in? Did they fill out more of the missing sections since last week, or are they doing a tight angle connection over to that one lane?

Looks like you have to make a crossover at a tight angle, from seeing it at lunch. It wasn't quite open, that I could tell, but almost.

[HOT ROD]

Oklahoman reporting tonight that the Eastbound 44 to NB 235 flyover will open tomorrow.

Also said that the NB offramp to NW 63rd will be closed in a few months for about 45 days while they continue to rework that section of the intersection.

Looks like they are planning to finish the entire intersection by this fall.

https://oklahoman.com/article/568165...second-flyover

Per the Oklahoman: "Dallas-Style flyover ramps"

??????

Um, we have them in Seattle too - likely LONGER than Dallas has had them. ...

Anyway, maybe now we can call the entire thing I-235 and not just the spur from I-40 to I-44.

[Plutonic Panda]

Yeah and this is in no way a “Dallas style” interchange as the ones in Dallas don’t have clover leafs most are fully directional.

[Pete]

Can anyone confirm the flyover actually opened?

I drove by but I wasn't going that direction and it didn't look open to me.

[I235+I44]

Can anyone confirm the flyover actually opened?

I drove by but I wasn't going that direction and it didn't look open to me.

Yes, sir! It opened yesterday. I went out of my way to try it and voila, it was there. Of course, the signage wasn't clear, but I'm cool. The merging is better, as we have a separate lane opened where we join which isn't an Exit Only lane.

[Pete]

^

Good to know.

Thanks.

[I235+I44]

Here is the official link from the Dept, confirming that:
https://oklahoma.gov/odot/citizen/tr...o-traffic.html

[jn1780]

I guess they will probably have northbound completely done by mid spring and then shift southbound over in order to finish that last bridge.

[LakeEffect]

The new flyovers, like almost every highway bridge today, were a mess this morning when I drove under. Curious if ODOT ever does a future O&M/winter event cost analysis on the infrastructure it adds?