I-35 reconstruction through Norman, OK

[Scott5114]

This is rich: an apparently permanent BGS has been posted on northbound I-35 between the SH-9 and Lindsey St. ramps. A sign was needed there because the signage on the current SH-9 bridge is occluded by the bridge under construction. But this sign includes a SH-74A shield, despite the fact that that highway was decommissioned in 2008!

[Scott5114]

Photo of the above:

[Scott5114]

The project is about to ramp up next month:
http://www.news9.com/story/27579607/odot-to-begin-71-million-project-on-i-35-in-cleveland-county

The contract is for $71 million, the highest ever approved by the transportation commission:
http://www.news9.com/story/27575968/transportation-panel-approves-record-71m-contract

[rte66man]

http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/newsmedia/press/2015/15-006_I-35_SH-9_East_Lindsey_St_project_in_Norman_beginning_in_March_public_invited_to_informational_meeting.pdf

[Scott5114]

Signs are up saying the Lindsey Street interchange work is beginning in early March. Hilariously, they all say "Lindsay St".

[Bobby5280]

Is ODOT doing any funky, stupid things with the lettering on those signs -such as shrinking the size of the lowercase letters to 75% of their normal size?

Recently ODOT finished some road work on I-44 near the Red River. The Grandfield and Randlett exits have new big green signs set in Clearview, but with the lowercase letters shrank to 75% of their normal size. It's yet another example of some "designer" completely misinterpreting rules in the 2009 MUTCD. The end result is extremely stupid looking signage.

[J N Winkler]

I still collect ODOT signing plan sheets and, judging from the recent ones, they have given up all hope of satisfying the sign nerds (myself included) on this forum.  It's hard to say though what will happen once all the change orders are in.  Probably a minority of the recent work on OKC freeways has been plotted with correct fonts, and occasionally they do catch mistakes.

[Scott5114]

Is ODOT doing any funky, stupid things with the lettering on those signs -such as shrinking the size of the lowercase letters to 75% of their normal size?

The signs in question are VMSes, so they don't have the opportunity, fortunately.

[Scott5114]

Update on the current situation: SH-9 traffic over I-35 has been shifted onto the new bridge that was built during the Canadian River bridge widening project (and sat unused until now). The old bridge already has a good chunk of its concrete stripped away.

[Scott5114]

That was quick: the old bridge is toast. The NB I-35 ramp to Lindsey is closed, presumably so the piers can be taken out.

[Scott5114]

At the time that the SPUI at Main Street was announced, the Morgan Road SPUI had not been constructed.

Update on construction: NB I-35 ramp to Lindsey is open again. NB I-35 has been shifted onto the c/d road.

[rte66man]

At the time that the SPUI at Main Street was announced, the Morgan Road SPUI had not been constructed.

They still got it wrong. It would never have been the first given the construction schedules of both projects. I would be curious to know which one was announced first. 

[Scott5114]

Not quite. The only new ramps that have been constructed are NB I-35 to EB SH-9 (open) and SB I-35 to EB SH-9 (not yet open). The traffic is actually on the north side of the jersey wall on the SH-9 overpass; temporary ramps are connecting it to I-35 at present while the old ramps are being demolished. The retaining walls for the bridge that will carry the WB SH-9 to SB I-35 movement over the SB I-35 to EB SH-9 movement have been built but no girders have been put in place as of yet. That will have to be completed before the new SB I-35 to EB SH-9 ramp can open.

One retaining wall for the new Lindsey Street bridge, on the west side of the interchange near the car lot, has been built. Presumably they're planning on using the same pattern they did for the Main Street rebuild: build half the bridge, demo the old bridge, build the other half.

The work that seems to be the furthest along is the portion of SH-9 east of I-35. That has all been torn up and I believe they are currently working on the asphalt base layer that the concrete will sit on top of. Traffic is shifted outward to what will eventually be the #2/#3 lanes when the project wraps up. They've also almost completed sound walls along this portion.

I would like to provide pictures but this is a rather tricky project to drive through sometimes so I don't feel safe driving and photographing here, and the area isn't really conducive to visiting on foot.

[jaysmc]

Presumably they're planning on using the same pattern they did for the Main Street rebuild: build half the bridge, demo the old bridge, build the other half.

The plans show that Lindsay will be closed and the entire bridge will be removed then new one built. By this time they should have 28th Ave SW open so that we will be able to access West Lindsay from SH 9.

[Scott5114]

Current state of the project follows. Use this image as reference (click it to zoom in if you can't read the labels).

• Traffic on mainline I-35 is shifted outward to what was once the c/d roads through the area (and the medians between the c/d roads and the old mainlines, which have been torn out and covered with asphalt. The median barrier is currently being constructed; it currently begins a few dozen feet north of the river bridge and extends about midway between SH-9 and Lindsey.
• Traffic on mainline SH-9 is also shifted outward between the interchange and just east of 24th Avenue SW; this intersection is fully open after having had various closures for a few months. Final pavement (concrete) is mostly in place here, it's just blocked off. There are a few slabs missing closer to Bridge C. A sound barrier has been built along the north side of SH-9 between 24th Avenue SW and McGee Drive.
• Bridge C–I know there's two Bridge C's on this map, but I'll use that to refer to the one carrying SH-9–is open to one lane of traffic each way, on the correct sides of the median barrier. It was constructed during a previous project. This project just finished its paint job.
• Traffic exiting from I-35 NB to SH-9 EB is using the new, final ramp. Traffic exiting from I-35 NB to Lindsey Street, as well as traffic entering I-35 NB from both SH-9 WB and Lindsey Street, is still using the old ramps, yet to be touched (although they now merge directly into the mainline and not c/d roads as they did before).
• Traffic exiting from I-35 SB to Lindsey Street and entering I-35 SB from Lindsey Street is still using the old ramps.
• Traffic exiting from I-35 SB to SH-9 EB is using the old ramp (shown in gray) up to the point where it intersects the embankment Ramp D will sit on; it detours around it on a temporary ramp until it reaches the approximate point where the ramp to/from 28th Avenue SW will merge in, at which point it transitions to that ramp and follows it to Bridge C.
• Traffic entering I-35 SB from SH-9 WB is using the old ramp east of the interstate, shifts slightly to use Bridge C (which was built south of the old bridge it replaced), shifts back onto the old ramp, then shifts onto a temporary ramp with a smaller radius inside what will be the loop of Ramp D.
• Bridge E1 has all of its beams in place. They are probably decking it, but it's hard to see from the ground. The embankment for Ramp D is partially done, but it's not high enough to actually connect to Bridge E1 yet, although you can get a rough idea of its final size and shape already.
• Ramp A was completed by a prior project. It isn't accessible, although the temporary ramp to SB I-35 crosses it and uses a little bit of its pavement as a result. Otherwise, it seems to be contractor parking for now.
• Part of the wall that will hold up the west side of Bridge A is under construction.
• The following have not been started: Bridges D and E2, Ramps C, E, F, G, H. I would imagine Bridge E2 will not be constructed until after Ramp D is ready to go, since that would allow Ramp A to be opened and the detour for that ramp removed (since I think that is right where E2 will sit). No idea when Ramp C/Bridge D are planned for, since I think they could do that right now and not interfere with anything, though maybe that will be done when things get closer on the SPUI and Ramp F is closer to being ready.

[Scott5114]

Looks good, Paul. Thanks.

I'm not sure where the exact point the Lindsey-to-I-35 SB ramp merges in is since I hardly ever approach the project from the north (and when I'm heading past it NB it's often dark) but the general layout is correct as of right now.

[Scott5114]

Some updates on this:

[ul]

• I-35 SB has been shifted inward to what I assume will be the permanent #1 and #2 lanes. I haven't been able to take a look at NB I-35 in the light to see if it was shifted as well.
• The traffic flow for Ramp D has changed slightly. Now, instead of crossing Ramp A and merging into the Interstate, Ramp D loops around, joins the unopened Ramp A, and follows it until just upstream of the Canadian River bridge, and cuts over on a temporary ramp. When this ramp joins I-35, a third lane is added, forming the three lanes of traffic on the bridge.
• Bridge E1 looks, for the most part, done, and the embankment leading up to it is mostly complete. Should be in a good position to construct the final Ramp D. Bridge E2 is also under construction, but it's hard to get a good angle to look at it and gauge how far along it is.
• There is grading for what looks to be a temporary ramp to replace Ramp C while the new ramp is constructed.

[/ul]

[Scott5114]

I wasn't seeing any difference, even in edit mode, so I went ahead and edited the map to reflect the changes (as well as the opening of the aforementioned temporary ramp C and traffic shift onto the permanent pavement for WB SH-9 in that area). You might want to double-check my tagging and such.

[Scott5114]

More updates:

• Ramp from Lindsey Street to I-35 SB is closed and torn up, presumably to make way for the new bridge embankment and Ramp H. Detour posted to follow Ed Noble Parkway to Main Street. The ramp from I-35 SB to Lindsey is still open.
• I-35 NB has been shifted inward to use what I believe to be the permanent #1/#2 lanes.

I will attempt to edit OSM to reflect the changes shortly. Again, Paul, if you'd like to double-check everything it would be appreciated.

[Scott5114]

Ramp A is now open to traffic. Ramp D is still using the detour, so there is a brief two-lane section of Ramp A between the point where the detour merges with it and the temporary ramp cutting over to I-35 SB. The new Ramp D is coming along nicely; the only thing still being worked on is the embankment after it crosses Bridge E1 that will take it back down to meet with I-35.

Also, northbound exit 108B has a c/d road once again.

[Scott5114]

Same here. Yeah, it's all back. It'll get deleted eventually...just not until later, it looks like.

[Scott5114]

NB I-35 ramp to Lindsey Street is closed for the remainder of the year.

[rte66man]

Just wanted to break up the streak you 2 had going.   

[Scott5114]

New Ramp D is open now, including the ramp to Lindsey Street/Ed Noble. I went ahead and updated OSM to reflect this change.

ODOT is planning to close Lindsey Street over I-35 and all of the remaining ramps on Tuesday.

[rte66man]

from May 7:

IMG_1477 by rte66man, on Flickr