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I-35 reconstruction through Norman, OK

Started by Scott5114, January 31, 2009, 01:48:52 AM

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Scott5114

Looks like the moment we've been waiting for is about to begin. The much-discussed expansion and reconstruction project of currently four-lane I-35 in Norman, OK is apparently about to begin. A lane will be added, and many bridges and interchanges will be rebuilt. A new overpass will be constructed for Rock Creek Road. The first part of the expansion will affect the portion of I-35 from Main Street (MM 109) to the three-lane segment in Moore (MM 113).

ODOT has been distributing VMSes throughout the city. So far, they're blank. Also, the wide area of the median south of Indian Hills Road seems to be shaping up to be a staging area for the project–tons of temporary Jersey barrier segments have appeared there. I think the actual construction starts in March, so this is still prep work. Presumably the VMSes will start displaying the date construction starts as we get closer to the project. I'll keep everyone up to date here in this thread.
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algorerhythms

Any word on if the Main Street interchange will be SPUIified?

Chris

Interesting though, the traffic volumes are 67.900 to 71.700 and somewhat higher in the OKC southern suburbs. I wish they would reconstruct freeways in NL at such volumes...

I guess the current six-lane section north of I-77 will be extended southwards until the Canadian river?

algorerhythms

Quote from: Chris on February 01, 2009, 03:06:25 PM
Interesting though, the traffic volumes are 67.900 to 71.700 and somewhat higher in the OKC southern suburbs. I wish they would reconstruct freeways in NL at such volumes...

I guess the current six-lane section north of I-77 will be extended southwards until the Canadian river?
Yes, that's the plan (though it's US-77. I-77 is in West Virginia.  :-P ) I'd assume that at least part of the incentive for expanding the road isn't due to the average daily traffic volume, but due to the spikes in traffic that occur around University of Oklahoma football games.

Chris

Yeah I meant US 77 :)

I just checked Norman on Google Earth and I noticed the Canadian river bridge is already six-laned  :nod:

Voyager

When it hits capacity does that mean that's as much traffic as it can handle without starting to have backups and slowdowns?
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Chris

Yeah, I think the most optimum volume per day is about 70,000 before traffic jams start to appear. (on a 4 lane freeway). We have 110,000 on a 4 lane freeway in NL, and it's jammed for most of the day  X-(

Chris

Yep, there are multiple variables that influences the capacity of a highway;

* number of lanes
* composition of traffic (number of trucks for example)
* geometry (also called: alignment)
* number of onramps.
* offramp capacity

To name a few.

Scott5114

While the McCall Bridge (the official name) over the Canadian River is indeed six lanes, it's only useful as four, since the right hand lane becomes an exit-only lane on either side of the bridge. Going southbound, it's exit-only for SH-9 west, and going northbound it's exit-only for SH-74A. The right lane going southbound is typically backed up because more people usually want to take SH-9 west than I-35 south. There is a very large casino right next to the interchange (Google imagery was taken before it was built) that generates a lot of traffic. SH-9 is also how most people cut over to Blanchard and Newcastle and I-44 so they can visit towns such as Chickasha and Lawton.

Something will be done with the Main Street interchange; I'm not sure exactly what though. The two alternatives were a SPUI and a diamond. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find any sort of final plan on the ODOT website (it's somewhat badly designed, but what do you expect from ODOT). The project that's about to kick off will focus on the stretch north of Main Street; south of Main Street will be later. The southern section might be a bit more interesting, because ODOT was originally planning on eliminating the SH-74A interchange, which naturally caused a big flap around town.

I think this section of highway definitely needs expansion and reconstruction. While the road isn't so overcrowded so as to come to a standstill without provocation, it's heavy enough to make maneuvering a bit iffy. Plus, most of the bridges over the Interstate are showing their age. The US-77 overpass is probably the worst, though the Main Street overpass is pretty bad. Also, I'm looking forward to getting concrete; I'm much more partial to it than asphalt  :biggrin: Of course, we will also be getting new signage here, and it will most likely be all Clearview. Probably the largest batch of Clearview yet posted in Oklahoma.

While ODOT might certainly be taking OU football traffic into consideration, they're not designing for it. An ODOT person was quoted as saying in the paper that if they ran the numbers for OU football traffic levels, it would recommend that all the streets in Norman get ten lanes. Personally I wish they would have a ramp signed for OU football traffic that deposits all the fans into the Canadian River. :-P
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Scott5114

UPDATE: As of today, all the VMSes have been switched on. They're now displaying "I-35 CONSTR BEGINS FEB 15". So apparently the project is beginning earlier than I thought.
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SSOWorld

It might "begin", but you don't see work done for another two weeks  ;-) :-P :-D
Scott O.

Not all who wander are lost...
Ah, the open skies, wind at my back, warm sun on my... wait, where the hell am I?!
As a matter of fact, I do own the road.
Raise your what?

Wisconsin - out-multiplexing your state since 1918.

Scott5114

Update: Today I saw work crews posting the typical construction signage (Road Work Next 6 Miles, CONSTRUCTION/Fines Double In Work Zones, Road Work 1 Mile, 1/2 Mile, etc). Looks like the project is indeed getting ready to start.  :nod:
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Greybear


Gridlock

Whats the current status of I-35 from Norman to downtown OKC?  It is all 6 lanes now except for Norman stretch?  How's the normal commute in rush-hour, where are the slow downs?

I remember as an OU student in the early 90's that it was all 4 lane except for section where it duplexed with US 77 (Shields to 77 exit in Norman).  It was also treacherous b/c of the numerous suicide on-ramps (non-existent w/ no acceleration room) between downtown OKC and I-240.

okroads

Quote from: Gridlock on February 12, 2009, 12:01:52 PM
Whats the current status of I-35 from Norman to downtown OKC?  It is all 6 lanes now except for Norman stretch?  How's the normal commute in rush-hour, where are the slow downs?

I remember as an OU student in the early 90's that it was all 4 lane except for section where it duplexed with US 77 (Shields to 77 exit in Norman).  It was also treacherous b/c of the numerous suicide on-ramps (non-existent w/ no acceleration room) between downtown OKC and I-240.
It is six lanes from I-40 south to U.S. 77. Between U.S. 77 & Tecumseh (Exit 112), there are currently three southbound lanes and two northbound lanes. From Tecumseh south to the South Canadian River, I-35 is currently four lanes.

Traffic usually slows down some around I-240, but not as much as it did before I-35 was widened through that interchange from approximately 2003 to 2005.

Scott5114

I just noticed today that coming off the McCall Bridge are the first signs for the construction zone. They read, bizarrely enough, "ROAD WORK, 1.8 MILES". I'll try to get a picture tomorrow.
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Scott5114

OK, the project is underway now. Here's the scoop:


  • Most lane closures will be at night, according to ODOT. Apparently this means this won't be a complete tear-out and rebuild–instead they're just adding lanes and redoing the interchanges. Still a lot of major work.
  • Northbound traffic flows through the work zone so far unimpeded. I did notice that crews had removed the northbound sign gantry at Indian Hill Road for some reason, and appeared to be doing something with it in sections on the shoulder.
  • Southbound traffic is seeing the brunt of the work so far. Approaching US-77, the left lane (#1) is closed off. I think the #2 lane is then an Exit Only lane for US 77 (I didn't get too good a look at this.) After the US-77 interchange, there are only two lanes left, and they occupy what was the permanent middle lane and the exit-only lane for Tecumseh Road. At Tecumseh Road, the thru lanes are shifted to the left to return traffic to the two lanes that run through Norman.
  • South of Tecumseh Road, the grass has been torn up along the edge of the median a little bit.
  • The VMSes are now displaying average traffic speed in the work zone. At 5:30 PM, the average speed was running between 30 to 40 MPH (which is about the worst a traffic jam typically gets in Oklahoma City). VMSes on cross streets at interchanges will apparently display travel times. The one on Lindsey Street said "NO DELAY ON I-35 N BOUND".
  • The project is expected to be done by summer 2010. The ODOT press release didn't say whether this was the entire project, or just the north section. Probably just the north section.
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Scott5114

Update as of today:

The northbound lanes have been shifted to the left about 1/4 of a lane width. The southbound lanes have had a temporary Jersey barrier placed along the right-hand edgeline. I'm guessing work to add the third lane will occur just beyond the barrier. Signage-wise, everything is the same; inapplicable portions of signs have been blocked out with white-painted boards. The northbound gantry for Indian Hill Road has disappeared; no temporary signage has replaced it.

Merging onto the freeway with a Jersey barrier looming at you is a pain in the tail. Signs proclaiming "Limited merging area" do not help.
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un1

Well, we got lost in Norman because of the construction last night.  :banghead: I'm just happy we have a GPS in our car to get us back to the Interstate.
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Thunder Bay Expressway - Highway 61 and 11/17 Ontario - Thunder Bay, Ontario

SSOWorld

Quote from: un1 on February 24, 2009, 09:52:56 AM
Well, we got lost in Norman because of the construction last night.  :banghead: I'm just happy we have a GPS in our car to get us back to the Interstate.
You have what?? :pan:


;-)
Scott O.

Not all who wander are lost...
Ah, the open skies, wind at my back, warm sun on my... wait, where the hell am I?!
As a matter of fact, I do own the road.
Raise your what?

Wisconsin - out-multiplexing your state since 1918.

Scott5114

Quote from: un1 on February 24, 2009, 09:52:56 AM
Well, we got lost in Norman because of the construction last night.  :banghead: I'm just happy we have a GPS in our car to get us back to the Interstate.

How did you manage that? o_O
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un1

Well it was dark and the baby was creaming and it was chaotic.  :-D
Also, I was getting bad directions by everyone...
Moderator of the Canada and Off Topic boards.


Thunder Bay Expressway - Highway 61 and 11/17 Ontario - Thunder Bay, Ontario

Scott5114

Well, I mean, how'd you manage to get off I-35 in the first place? Unless they're doing something at night I'm not aware of, there's not really anywhere northbound that you could exit thinking you're following the I-35 mainline...

Update: as of today, Jersey barriers have been added along the northbound carriageway too.
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Scott5114

According to the Norman section of today's Oklahoman, the Main Street interchange will be a SPUI! This will be the first SPUI in Oklahoma. That will be as part of Phase Two. Phase One, which is the northern part of the project currently being worked on, is expected to be complete in August 2010.

Also, the article mentions that "Designers are leaning heavily toward building an overpass for southbound Interstate 35 traffic exiting east onto State Highway 9, to keep traffic from intersecting with 24th Avenue. I'm guessing how this will work is the bridge over I-35 will be extended so that the traffic is flown over 24th.

I'll take a look at slides from Thursday's meeting and see if I can find some diagrams.
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Scott5114

Okay, way overdue for an update here!

Northbound traffic has shifted onto the southbound carriageway just north of Tecumseh Road. The old Exit 113 overpass has been demolished and a new overpass capable of allowing three lanes to pass beneath it is in the process of being built.

Exit 110A (SB I-35 to EB Robinson St.) was closed for no apparent reason.

the Rock Creek Road overpass has its pillars built now. The last time I went up there beams had yet to be placed for the bridge.

All in all, there will be a lot to see if you plan on attending Day 2 of the OKC meet!
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