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[rte66man]

I40 was finished in the last 5 years while it's been nearly 30 years since I35 was completely redone.

I-35 from Downtown OKC down to the Crossroads Mall area (I-40 down to I-240) was re-built in the early 2000's. I-35 going North of I-40 up to the duplex with I-44 is really old and badly in need of improvement.

Not disagreeing with 35 between the Ft Smith junction and Remington Park. I went back to Google Earth to confirm. In 1990, the Dallas Junction rebuild was complete down to just north of the SE 15th St exit. By 1995, the rebuild was complete at 15th and was in progress south to just north of Grand Blvd. By 2002 it was complete past SE 59th and was in progress from SE 89th to Shields.  The final stretch was the I240 interchange, which was completed between 2003 and July 2005. That 7 mile stretch took 15 years to be completed.

[sparker]

Even though the Kickapoo exit number scheme is explained as a "count-back" from I-44 exit #149, it's also approximately the mileage from a given point on the turnpike to the TX state line at the Red River -- not that anyone thinks that this facility will reach that far south!  But earlier speculation about a diagonal shunt over to I-35, if ever implemented, might actually be a close approximation of I-35 aggregate mileage as diverted to the Kickapoo.  That leads to a 2nd thought:  the exit numbers may well change once the pike is signed as part of I-240, so the existing scheme, regardless of rationale, is serving as a temporary "placeholder".  Do any OK posters have a rough idea regarding when I-240 signage will be applied? 

[Scott5114]

Hasn't cleared AASHTO/FHWA yet–this was just OK voting to send it to AASHTO, basically.

For what it's worth, even the state route changes that were approved the same day have not yet been signed (or at least SH-4 and SH-375; I haven't had eyes on 312 or 301).

[Stephane Dumas]

Slightly off-topic, but there an arterial in Shawnee called Kickapoo Spur.
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3438359,-96.9369984,1828m/data=!3m1!1e3

Very very doubful it could link to a potential Kickapoo southern extension.

Back to the main topic, Google Streetview did a coverage of the Kickapoo Tpk. https://goo.gl/maps/Qu87zH6S3yMCJB857

[okc1]

Slightly off-topic, but there an arterial in Shawnee called Kickapoo Spur.
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3438359,-96.9369984,1828m/data=!3m1!1e3

Very very doubful it could link to a potential Kickapoo southern extension.

The "Kickapoo Spur" refers to that portion of US 270 Business, as it leads to Kickapoo St (N-S street at east end).

[Plutonic Panda]

Drove this today around noon. It’s not a busy road by any measure but I was surprised at the amount of traffic on it. I can only think more cars will use it once it connects to I-35 near Purcell.

[Scott5114]

Slightly off-topic, but there an arterial in Shawnee called Kickapoo Spur.
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3438359,-96.9369984,1828m/data=!3m1!1e3

Very very doubful it could link to a potential Kickapoo southern extension.

The "Kickapoo Spur" refers to that portion of US 270 Business, as it leads to Kickapoo St (N-S street at east end).

Assuredly both are named after the same Kickapoo tribe the turnpike was named after, which has its capital at nearby McLoud.

[wdcrft63]

Well, AASHTO has approved I-335 as the designation for the Turnpike. Which strikes this casual observer as odd since the Turnpike doesn’t connect to I-35 at all. Explanation? Wouldn’t I-144 be more appropriate?

[Plutonic Panda]

Well, AASHTO has approved I-335 as the designation for the Turnpike. Which strikes this casual observer as odd since the Turnpike doesn’t connect to I-35 at all. Explanation? Wouldn’t I-144 be more appropriate?

Christ almighty… the Kickapoo will eventually connect both south and north to I-35. The southern segment is planned and soon to be funded after bonds are purchased. The northern segment is planned but nothing solid.

[bugo]

So there's a toll road that junctions with I-44 in OKC called I-344, and a toll road that junctions with I-44 in Tulsa called OK 344. No chance of confusion there.

[Plutonic Panda]

So there's a toll road that junctions with I-44 in OKC called I-344, and a toll road that junctions with I-44 in Tulsa called OK 344. No chance of confusion there.

Let’s NJ Turnpike it with a twist and build tolled lanes inside of the toll road and call those lanes I-344 and connect it to OK-344 in Tulsa and resign that as I-344. surely something more ridiculous than that doesn’t exist.

[Bobby5280]

I've said it before; the "I-344" thing is stupid being applied to the Kilpatrick Turnpike -especially with an existing freeway in Tulsa already called OK-344. Derp Derpy Derp!

If it was up to me the original Northern portion of the Kilpatrick Turnpike would be called I-440, since the West end connects to I-40 and the east end connects to I-44. Makes sense doesn't it? Then the newer Southern portion of the Kilpatrick would be called I-240. There is only so many potential I-x44 routes to go round. OKC also has I-35 and I-40 running through it. So it seems pretty stupid to be using up I-x44 designations in OKC when the metro could be using a bunch of other potential numbers.

[Scott5114]

To be fair to the Transportation Commission, if you can't tell whether you're in Oklahoma City or Tulsa I doubt a highway number is going to help you that much.

[Plutonic Panda]

To be fair to the Transportation Commission, if you can't tell whether you're in Oklahoma City or Tulsa I doubt a highway number is going to help you that much.

Agreed. I don’t think it’s that much of a big deal. What’s the worst case scenario here? Someone is looking for a hotel on OK-344 in Tulsa but somehow ends up in OKC on I-344? How would that even happen? Well, I guess to be fair people have driven into lakes and lately waterways in Oahu following their GPS.

[1]

They're farther apart than the two I-291s.

[Rothman]

I did know someone who got on the Baltimore Beltway (I-695), thinking it was the DC Beltway (I-495), since their directions were simply to "get on the Beltway."

He was a rural Midwesterner...

[Plutonic Panda]

I did know someone who got on the Baltimore Beltway (I-695), thinking it was the DC Beltway (I-495), since their directions were simply to "get on the Beltway."

He was a rural Midwesterner...

Send him this video lol. If I ever make a mistake on the road following directions(which I have) I’ll just watch this video later

[vdeane]

To be fair to the Transportation Commission, if you can't tell whether you're in Oklahoma City or Tulsa I doubt a highway number is going to help you that much.

Agreed. I don’t think it’s that much of a big deal. What’s the worst case scenario here? Someone is looking for a hotel on OK-344 in Tulsa but somehow ends up in OKC on I-344? How would that even happen? Well, I guess to be fair people have driven into lakes and lately waterways in Oahu following their GPS.

"Take 44 to 344"?  Yeah, that's not ambiguous at all...

[sprjus4]

You can try to defend the 344 designations within 80 miles of each other, in the same state, but in reality, it's just bad practice. They should not be the same.

[wdcrft63]

Well, AASHTO has approved I-335 as the designation for the Turnpike. Which strikes this casual observer as odd since the Turnpike doesn’t connect to I-35 at all. Explanation? Wouldn’t I-144 be more appropriate?

Christ almighty… the Kickapoo will eventually connect both south and north to I-35. The southern segment is planned and soon to be funded after bonds are purchased. The northern segment is planned but nothing solid.

Thanks for the explanation. But if the turnpike is to connect to I-35 at both ends the number should be I-435.

[Plutonic Panda]

Well, AASHTO has approved I-335 as the designation for the Turnpike. Which strikes this casual observer as odd since the Turnpike doesn’t connect to I-35 at all. Explanation? Wouldn’t I-144 be more appropriate?

Christ almighty… the Kickapoo will eventually connect both south and north to I-35. The southern segment is planned and soon to be funded after bonds are purchased. The northern segment is planned but nothing solid.

Thanks for the explanation. But if the turnpike is to connect to I-35 at both ends the number should be I-435.

I agree there. Not the biggest fan of I-335. Could’ve saved that in the event Ardmore or some other city needed a bypass in the distant future.

[Henry]

Fun fact: I-335 will be applied to a second toll road, with the first being the Kansas Turnpike from Emporia (where I-35 breaks away from it) to Topeka.

However, I do think a better number should've been applied, as it could be years before the Kickapoo Turnpike actually reaches I-35. If it were up to me, I would've made it I-340.

[Bobby5280]

These "3XX" routes are an Oklahoma-specific convention. They defy commonly understood rules for Interstate route numbers. I don't have a problem with them assigning a "3XX" state highway route number to a toll road. But it's another thing when it's an Interstate route.

There are only three possible I-3XX route numbers in Oklahoma. What if the OTA wants to assign an Interstate number to the Creek Turnpike around the South side of Tulsa? I strongly doubt the AASHTO is going to let them call it "I-364."

[vdeane]

These "3XX" routes are an Oklahoma-specific convention. They defy commonly understood rules for Interstate route numbers. I don't have a problem with them assigning a "3XX" state highway route number to a toll road. But it's another thing when it's an Interstate route.

There are only three possible I-3XX route numbers in Oklahoma. What if the OTA wants to assign an Interstate number to the Creek Turnpike around the South side of Tulsa? I strongly doubt the AASHTO is going to let them call it "I-364."

Given this last AASHTO session, I feel like anything is possible now.

[jdingus]

So when will it be signed?