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[Plutonic Panda]

Started this thread to keep track of the updates going on within the agency and changes to their budget, rules, practices, etc...

Nice first update regarding the deteriorating budget situation in Oklahoma. Looking like OkDOT's budget might be slashed to under $350m a year. The I-235/I-44 interchange project is specifically mentioned and it looks like that project which is already taking a decade to complete(a simple 3 stack!!!) could be dragged out even more. Very irritating.

http://m.newsok.com/article/5547324

[Scott5114]

OkDOT already acts like their annual budget is around twelve dollars (counting a BOGO McDonald's coupon in the total), so it will be interesting to see them come up with new ways to disappoint us.

[Plutonic Panda]

It is very embarrassing and angering that this is happening. A few years ago, it really felt like OkDOT was starting to make good progress on several things. Unfortunately, it seems like all of that is going going to be reversed.

[SEMIweather]

Would certainly be "interesting" if they had to stop work on the I-235 widening considering they just started to tear down the NE 50th Street overpass in the last week or so...

[texaskdog]

Drive north on I-35 out of OKC and tell me the budget is not $12.  The first time, we thought we had a flat.  It hasn't gotten any better.

[Scott5114]

Would certainly be "interesting" if they had to stop work on the I-235 widening considering they just started to tear down the NE 50th Street overpass in the last week or so...

I would imagine the current phase of the project is paid for, but later phases of the interchange (i.e. the flyovers) might be delayed.

[Plutonic Panda]

Would certainly be "interesting" if they had to stop work on the I-235 widening considering they just started to tear down the NE 50th Street overpass in the last week or so...

I would imagine the current phase of the project is paid for, but later phases of the interchange (i.e. the flyovers) might be delayed.

lol and here I am hoping they would surprise us with an announcement that they will bring back the Santa Fe bridge proposal.

[Plutonic Panda]

Actually Scott, check this video out. Not good.

http://newsok.com/multimedia/video/5419404189001#gsc.tab=0

[Scott5114]

That's asinine. We're going to spend more money in the long run to "save" money in the short run.

[Bobby5280]

Very good video, but one that should make anyone with a functional brain pretty angry.

Regarding the I-235/I-44 interchange project shown in the video, I don't know why the flyovers are put off until the very end. This project has been funded and let in small bits and pieces over a 10 year period already. Construction cost inflation for road building has been really serious. By the time they ever get around to building the two large flyover ramps they're going to cost a hell of a lot more money to build than back in the mid 2000's.

[Rick1962]

If Gov. Fallin issued an executive order requiring a Ten Commandments monument on every road project, you can bet your bippy the derpwoods in the Legislature would fund the roads right away. 

[Bobby5280]

The whole voting on a Tuesday work-day thing is, IMHO, a way to discourage lower income and/or non-white people from voting. Most other developed nations set their voting day on the weekend when far more people are off work. Some make the voting day a national holiday. Combine the US voting day with other immoral practices, like Gerrymandering districts and operating as few polling places as possible in any lower income neighborhood. Add in how campaigns are financed. It's part of what makes the United States' form of government an insidious form of oligarchy.

I'm a white guy but it's easy even for me to see just how racist and class warfare-mongering our society is these days.

[Scott5114]

I would imagine that moving it to the weekend would result in far fewer lower-income people being able to vote. Those people are most likely to be in sectors like retail and other customer service jobs that don't follow a 9-to-5 schedule. (I don't have any numbers to back this up, however.)

[compdude787]

I would imagine that moving it to the weekend would result in far fewer lower-income people being able to vote. Those people are most likely to be in sectors like retail and other customer service jobs that don't follow a 9-to-5 schedule. (I don't have any numbers to back this up, however.)

I would actually agree with this. Most people working on retail are very likely to be working on the weekends, given that that is when more people are shopping.

[ColossalBlocks]

OkDOT already acts like their annual budget is around twelve dollars (counting a BOGO McDonald's coupon in the total), so it will be interesting to see them come up with new ways to disappoint us.

OkDOT is the result of IDOT and MDOT getting drunk and having a baby, whilst drunk.

[Plutonic Panda]

Pretty sure a little crack was smoked at some point as well.

[rte66man]

I've heard from a source inside ODOT that no further work will be done on the 50th St bridge demolition due to lack of funds.  Also, there is a good chance that the only future investment will be in sod for the bare embankments unless the funding crisis is averted.

[Plutonic Panda]

They've also suspended work at the I-35/I-240 interchange.

[dfwmapper]

Pretty sure a little crack was smoked at some point as well.

No, this is Oklahoma, they prefer Oxy and meth.

[SEMIweather]

This certainly doesn't seem promising... http://newsok.com/article/5549038

[okc1]

This certainly doesn't seem promising... http://newsok.com/article/5549038

Don't see it happening. This is to scare legislators into thinking there will be chaos at OU games this fall.

[bugo]

Maybe I should run for governor. Come hell or high water, I'd find the money.

[Plutonic Panda]

Lot of projects have been cut from the 8yr plan and almost half have been delayed. I-40/Douglas Blvd. project has been delayed. Not sure how long but the article reported at least a year.

http://kfor.com/2017/10/02/odot-removes-more-than-204-million-in-road-projects-from-8-year-plan-due-to-budget-cuts/

[Plutonic Panda]

Just found out it will delayed until 2020-2025. Frustrating! That also includes the widening of I-40 from Douglas to I-240.

Here is report from OkDOT: https://www.ok.gov/triton/modules/newsroom/newsroom_article.php?id=277&article_id=36480

[MCRoads]

this probably isn't relevant but i didn't now where else to put this...


I called ODOT to see if they would be willing to give me a traffic drum, and... they don't have any? either that, or they didn't know where they were... i called traffic engineering, got transferred to administration, got transferred to a different person in traffic engineering, got transferred to maintenance, who gave me the OKC maintenance annex, who told me to call a contractor. Is this normal ODOT behavior? I feel like I just called the white house and tried to talk to Donald Trump... All i want is a TRAFFIC DRUM!