I-35 / I-240 Exchange

[bombermwc]

Well they really havent DONE anything yet. So at least we're not left on temporary roads or something while the legislature figures out how to stop being stupid.

Really with they would have managed to get the 240E to 35S part done to help with that mess though.

[baralheia]

Specifically, according to https://www.ok.gov/odot/Crossroads_Renewal_240.html, ODOT has asked the contractor not to start work on Phase 1A (the I-240 E to I-35 S ramp and access road improvements). Phase 1 (Ramps to Santa Fe Ave. and mainline reconstruction between Santa Fe Ave and just east of Shields Blvd) has not been halted and work should be complete by "early summer 2017".

[SoonerDave]

Electronic signage is now up on eastbound I-240 in S. OKc indicating that work on the i-35 interchange ramps will be starting on June 19th.

[bombermwc]

I haven't seen any signs for this in the last week ive been up/down 240. Where are they posted?

[Robert_M]

Saw one the other day heading south on I-35 just before the 240 off ramp.

[emtefury]

They are in the east bound side before May and Western. The cones and speed limit signs are getting prepped. You can't miss it now.

[bombermwc]

They must have added some just about the time i posted because then i started seeing them all over the dang place.


I'm crossing my fingers the "left 2 lanes closed" thing is a night thing and that they dont do the same stupid crap again like they did with the west bound side. They SHOULD focus on keeping the through lanes open and route the ramps accordingly, not the other way around!!!!!

[SoonerDave]

They must have added some just about the time i posted because then i started seeing them all over the dang place.


I'm crossing my fingers the "left 2 lanes closed" thing is a night thing and that they dont do the same stupid crap again like they did with the west bound side. They SHOULD focus on keeping the through lanes open and route the ramps accordingly, not the other way around!!!!!

I believe they were discussing on Ch 9 this morning that the lane outages are supposed to start at 6pm each night and reopen by the next morning. At least for now.

Does anyone know, exactly, what they will be doing? I guess I've got too much concrete between the ears, because I see the cones up along the service road, and I know some new lanes are going into I-35, but I still can't yet visualize exactly what they're going to do or how it will tie into what they just finished on 240. Heck, I even tried studying the rendering/drawing and can't figure it out.

[jompster]

...The cones and speed limit signs are getting prepped...

I don't know why they even bother with the speed limit signs. Nobody follows them. During the last 240 construction I slowed down only to have someone almost run me off the road, so I just started ignoring them like everyone else.

[Lazio85]

I believe they were discussing on Ch 9 this morning that the lane outages are supposed to start at 6pm each night and reopen by the next morning. At least for now.

Does anyone know, exactly, what they will be doing? I guess I've got too much concrete between the ears, because I see the cones up along the service road, and I know some new lanes are going into I-35, but I still can't yet visualize exactly what they're going to do or how it will tie into what they just finished on 240. Heck, I even tried studying the rendering/drawing and can't figure it out.

I35_I240_plan_map by
lazio85, on Flickr

[SoonerDave]

I35_I240_plan_map by
lazio85, on Flickr

Thanks, but I've seen that, I and I guess I overstated my question when I said "what are they doing." I have been generally familiar with (and a huge advocate of) the overall rebuild, but my question dealt specifically with the current/new project. I'm not seeing how the service road work between Santa Fe and curving to the south will integrate (if at all?) with the work just completed along I-240....or am I to understand that map indicates the current EB on-ramp to I-240 just east of Shields (which I loathe) is going away, and traffic wanting to get to I-35 from Shields will do so via a new ramp along the service road that is getting ready to be built?

Sorry to be dense...

[KayneMo]

^ If I'm understanding your question correctly, it looks like the new curve of 240 and the service road will be directly east of what was just completed on 240.

[SoonerDave]

^ If I'm understanding your question correctly, it looks like the new curve of 240 and the service road will be directly east of what was just completed on 240.

Right, but I think that's a much later phase (slight I-240 shift) that isn't happening for several years now (sadly). I'm just trying to understand how the work they've started today will tie in, if at all, to the work they just finished.

[baralheia]

Thanks, but I've seen that, I and I guess I overstated my question when I said "what are they doing." I have been generally familiar with (and a huge advocate of) the overall rebuild, but my question dealt specifically with the current/new project. I'm not seeing how the service road work between Santa Fe and curving to the south will integrate (if at all?) with the work just completed along I-240....or am I to understand that map indicates the current EB on-ramp to I-240 just east of Shields (which I loathe) is going away, and traffic wanting to get to I-35 from Shields will do so via a new ramp along the service road that is getting ready to be built?

Sorry to be dense...

Phase 1A - starting construction today - will reconstruct the service road in the SW quadrant of this intersection, from S Shields Blvd to SE 82nd St, as well as the southbound on-ramp from I-240 E to I-35 S, and a partial segment of the new alignment of the eastbound lanes of I-240. The partial segment of the new eastbound alignment of I-240 will consist of one outer lane as well as an exit lane that extends from the eastern extent of the Phase 1 construction to where the new southbound on-ramp starts, roughly where the creek passes under I-240 directly west of I-35. This phase will also delete the existing and dangerous I-240 E on-ramp from Shields, and the direct off-ramp from I-35 S to SW 82nd St. The newly constructed service road will only have access to I-35 S via the on-ramp south of SE 89th St.

So basically the service road will not directly interact with the recently completed construction on Phase 1; however, the new southbound I-35 on-ramp from I-240 directly interacts with the new pavement from Phase 1.

[OUman]

Are there any incentives to the contractor for getting this interchange done ahead of schedule? Although with the complexity of the re-build, I guess it would be wise not to rush any phase of the project. I'm wondering how long it takes Texas to buid something like this, noting how all the stacks in Dallas and Houston (now Austin as well) have popped up like crazy.

[SoonerDave]

Phase 1A - starting construction today - will reconstruct the service road in the SW quadrant of this intersection, from S Shields Blvd to SE 82nd St, as well as the southbound on-ramp from I-240 E to I-35 S, and a partial segment of the new alignment of the eastbound lanes of I-240. The partial segment of the new eastbound alignment of I-240 will consist of one outer lane as well as an exit lane that extends from the eastern extent of the Phase 1 construction to where the new southbound on-ramp starts, roughly where the creek passes under I-240 directly west of I-35. This phase will also delete the existing and dangerous I-240 E on-ramp from Shields, and the direct on-ramp from I-35 S to SW 82nd St. The newly constructed service road will only have access to I-35 S via the on-ramp south of SE 89th St.

So basically the service road will not directly interact with the recently completed construction on Phase 1; however, the new southbound I-35 on-ramp from I-240 directly interacts with the new pavement from Phase 1.

Perfect. That's what I needed. Thanks. DEEE-LIGHTED to see that on-ramp to EB I-240 from Shields to finally get the heave-ho. Always contended that was the proximate cause of most of the wrecks in this entire interchange. Bet that little bit of demo work would get a standing ovation

[baralheia]

Are there any incentives to the contractor for getting this interchange done ahead of schedule? Although with the complexity of the re-build, I guess it would be wise not to rush any phase of the project. I'm wondering how long it takes Texas to buid something like this, noting how all the stacks in Dallas and Houston (now Austin as well) have popped up like crazy.

Typically, road construction contracts issued by ODOT include both an early completion bonus as well as late completion penalties. I'm quite sure that this project is no different. It's important to remember, however, that as funding for ODOT is limited, projects like this are contracted out in phases, often to different contractors... and as a result, these bonuses and penalties are assessed per phase, not for the overall project.

Perfect. That's what I needed. Thanks. DEEE-LIGHTED to see that on-ramp to EB I-240 from Shields to finally get the heave-ho. Always contended that was the proximate cause of most of the wrecks in this entire interchange. Bet that little bit of demo work would get a standing ovation

Same here, and you're absolutely correct - the way traffic has to weave back and forth not only there, but also entering and exiting the cloverleaves, is the primary cause of wrecks here, and a big reason why the new interchange is designed the way it is, with dedicated merge lanes for traffic instead of the current setup.

[tfvc.org]

I still find it odd that they didn't fiyover the Shields exit to connect with ramps C&E.

[Plutonic Panda]

I still find it odd that they didn't fiyover the Shields exit to connect with ramps C&E.

Yes I agree. OkDOT being cheap. This project is most certainly not complex as this should have been a four stack.

[tfvc.org]

Heck, Santa fe could have been attached to Shields to make that SB I-35 queue even more safer.

[David]

Just posted by the OKDOT Twitter: https://twitter.com/OKDOT/status/876915034420649993

OKC- I-230 construction begins tonight. Shields Blvd. on-ramp closes Tuesday; use on-ramp at Santa Fe Ave: http://ow.ly/snjU30cEDbO

[bombermwc]

I feel like the plan on most of this is pretty well thought out, but im crossing my fingers that when it comes time to do the bridge work over 35, that they dont try to cut down the number of lanes....or are they even rebuilding those bridges?

[baralheia]

I feel like the plan on most of this is pretty well thought out, but im crossing my fingers that when it comes time to do the bridge work over 35, that they dont try to cut down the number of lanes....or are they even rebuilding those bridges?

I'm not sure how many lanes are planned but I do know that the interchange is a total rebuild. New bridges will be built immediately south of the existing bridges so that I-240 crosses I-35 perfectly square, instead of at an angle like it is now. If the Corridor Simulation video that ODOT posted to YouTube is accurate, it appears that there will be 3 through lanes across the bridge in each direction; the eastbound bridge will also include a turning lane for the Eastbound I-240 to Northbound I-35 loop. Westbound will have two bridges - one for the 3 through lanes, and a second for the combination Northbound I-35/Southbound I-35/Shields Blvd exit that will be two lanes wide when it crosses I-35.

[SoonerDave]

I'm not sure how many lanes are planned but I do know that the interchange is a total rebuild. New bridges will be built immediately south of the existing bridges so that I-240 crosses I-35 perfectly square, instead of at an angle like it is now. If the Corridor Simulation video that ODOT posted to YouTube is accurate, it appears that there will be 3 through lanes across the bridge in each direction; the eastbound bridge will also include a turning lane for the Eastbound I-240 to Northbound I-35 loop. Westbound will have two bridges - one for the 3 through lanes, and a second for the combination Northbound I-35/Southbound I-35/Shields Blvd exit that will be two lanes wide when it crosses I-35.

That looks about right to me. I just hate that the next round of construction is three years away

[baralheia]

You and me both; ODOT's page on the project tries to claim that the construction will "continue nonstop until estimated completion in 2023", but the current phase is only expected to take a year to complete - and then the next phase won't begin construction until FY 2020 - but that's more service road work. The actual main interchange won't begin work until FY 2021.