I-235 / I-44 Interchange

[Pete]

Will be interesting to see if they ever close I-44 to remove/rebuild the southbound 235 bridge.

[jn1780]

Drove this today. There is temp pavement leading to the cloverleaf.

I imagine they will shift I44, demolish the rest of the bridge than shift again to build central pier.

[Pete]

I'll take some photos tomorrow.

[Pete]

[bucktalk]

Pete, thank you so much for the updated photo's on this (and other) OKC projects! I look forward each week to see your latest photos!

[5alive]

^^^^^

[Pete]

Pete, thank you so much for the updated photo's on this (and other) OKC projects! I look forward each week to see your latest photos!

You're very welcome!

It's fun for me, especially a project like this that continues to unfold week after week.

Things should really start moving fast now on this project and then all come together in the next several months.

[Rover]

Will southbound to east flyover ever be part of this intersection?

[Pete]

Will southbound to east flyover ever be part of this intersection?

Nope, just a slightly reworked cloverleaf. Same with westbound to soutbound.

[Pete]

They have opened the two temporary cloverleaf connections so that traffic merging onto SB 235 from WB 44 have an extra lane; that lane can also be used to access the other temporary cloverleaf extension for SB 235 to EB 44.

So, there are effectively 3 SB lanes on 235 on the northbound bridge, and 2 NB.

The former southbound bridges are traffic-free and they are working on finalizing demolition before reconstruction.

It also looks like they might keep the steel structure for the western part of the southbound bridge and re-pave it, then build a completely new bridge between it and the northbound bridge.

[BoulderSooner]

They way they set up the barrier on the new bridge so unevenly favoring southbound lanes, I would almost bet they plan to route the cloverleaf merge area temporarily over there, which would allow them to just build the bridge at once verses more sub-phases.

^

Interesting idea. Could be something like this so they can just do the entire SB bridge at once:

you get a gold star

[jn1780]

I'm pretty sure the whole southbound bridge is being demolished, but they just haven't had a chance to have a crane come in there and remove the old steel beams. They have also already started construction on the approach for the new SB bridge only a couple of weeks since that half of the NB side was removed so things are moving quickly.

Doesn't look like anymore interstate closures will be needed. They will just keep shifting I-44 traffic around the work areas of the new bridge. Its what they did when built the new NB bridge and overpasses that went over I-44.

[Pete]

Taken this morning (Sunday):

[LakeEffect]

They've already removed concrete from another bridge span between your shots from Sunday and this morning.

[warreng88]

On my drive north this morning, I noticed they started putting up the precast concrete for the wall for the 63rd street exit. They had been digging it out for several days now, looks like they are starting to put it back together.

[snark0leptic]

Traffic on I-44 has been shifted so that eastbound traffic no longer goes underneath the structure as they dismantle it. For some reason this new alignment feels so much more natural going either way, no sharp curves really.

[Pete]

Taken this (Saturday) morning:

[warreng88]

Remind me again when they are supposed to be done with this project? It seems like the 235/77/44 could be done by the end of the year. Not sure how long the Lincoln to 235 will take.

[Pete]

Remind me again when they are supposed to be done with this project? It seems like the 235/77/44 could be done by the end of the year. Not sure how long the Lincoln to 235 will take.

This fall.

[BoulderSooner]

now that the old bridge is gone work should go pretty quickly ..

[Anonymous.]

They filling that entire embankment behind the wall with gravel? Damn that is a lot.

[jn1780]

They sure did "delete" that bridge pretty quickly.

[soonergooner]

I don't understand the construction of the 63rd street exit. Why the massive amount of rock (gravel?) . Drainage?

[JDSooners]

I don't understand the construction of the 63rd street exit. Why the massive amount of rock (gravel?) . Drainage?

Thought this was standard of all fill ins that do on projects like this

[Pete]

From this morning (Sunday):