May Avenue bridge over Northwest Expressway in OKC collapses

[jakeroot]

I think maintaining grade-separation is acceptable, but perhaps a smaller junction would do the area well. Something with a couple of roundabouts for May? Maybe a lid? Protected bike lane on west side and new sidewalk on east side for good measure:

(By the way, nothing here is to-scale)

[Scott5114]

Downgrading NW Expressway is a horrific idea. This may not be a state highway, but it's a six-lane arterial and has the traffic to justify it. It carries traffic from the northwest parts of the city that SH-3 serves and helps it continue east by channeling it into eastbound I-44. At the NW Expressway/I-44 junction sits Penn Square Mall and 50 Penn Place, which combined make for one of the area's biggest retail centers and traffic generators.

Something should probably be done with the May interchange, if only because the missing movement hobbles it, and cloverleaves aren't really the best option anyway. I'd like to see a conversion into a SPUI, but there's room for even a diamond if a SPUI is too expensive. There's also the option of making it an at-grade intersection, but leveling out the grade would be almost as costly and disruptive as redoing the interchange would be.

I don't think Oklahoma is ready for a three-lane roundabout yet.

[Plutonic Panda]

I think May needs to be a six lane street. There are no six lane north to south arterials and the traffic counts are only increasing. Penn should be six lanes around Quail Springs but getting closer to Nichols Hills there is no reason for it to be six lanes as it goes through residential. Same thing with Western. I'm guessing May has higher traffic counts than any of the others?

I think at grade intersections are bad ideas for NW Expressway if it to be left an expressway. Isn't that what function an expressway serves? More limited access control facilities?

I think NW Expressway could also use an added lane each way for BRT only.

[rte66man]

I think May needs to be a six lane street. There are no six lane north to south arterials and the traffic counts are only increasing. Penn should be six lanes around Quail Springs but getting closer to Nichols Hills there is no reason for it to be six lanes as it goes through residential. Same thing with Western. I'm guessing May has higher traffic counts than any of the others?

I think at grade intersections are bad ideas for NW Expressway if it to be left an expressway. Isn't that what function an expressway serves? More limited access control facilities?

I think NW Expressway could also use an added lane each way for BRT only.

Aren't they planning on using the median for the "future" expansion of the light ail system?

[rte66man]

I think maintaining grade-separation is acceptable, but perhaps a smaller junction would do the area well. Something with a couple of roundabouts for May? Maybe a lid? Protected bike lane on west side and new sidewalk on east side for good measure:

(By the way, nothing here is to-scale)

As much as I would like to see that (or something close to it), OKC does not have the funding available to do it in the next millenium.  Maybe a special MAPS 4 project?

[Plutonic Panda]

I think May needs to be a six lane street. There are no six lane north to south arterials and the traffic counts are only increasing. Penn should be six lanes around Quail Springs but getting closer to Nichols Hills there is no reason for it to be six lanes as it goes through residential. Same thing with Western. I'm guessing May has higher traffic counts than any of the others?

I think at grade intersections are bad ideas for NW Expressway if it to be left an expressway. Isn't that what function an expressway serves? More limited access control facilities?

I think NW Expressway could also use an added lane each way for BRT only.

Aren't they planning on using the median for the "future" expansion of the light ail system?

I'm not sure. I haven't heard anything about that but I do know this road is in study for BRT but I'm not sure if it will have its own dedicated lane or not. I suspect we will see it on the next bond issue.

2007 GoBond has NW Expressway being widened between Classen and 63 St.