I-240 extension in Oklahoma City

[rte66man]

So I am guessing that Airport Road is officially I-240 now?

Since that stretch will undergo major widening in 2024, I will wager that ODOT will wait to re-sign it until they are done with construction.

[The Ghostbuster]

Is this proposed widening of the OK 152 Airport Freeway an expansion of the freeway from four to six lanes?

[will_e_777]

Are there any Begin signs in Oklahoma? I don't believe I've ever seen one. I also can't recall seeing an overhead with an END shield on it in the state.

Not an overhead, but here is an END sign in Jenks/Glenpool, OK-117 (121st St.)
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.9882924,-96.0122378,3a,75y,89.34h,87.59t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQvWnt2vB8pAVqz6nP3x8Cg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

The matching sign on the other side does not have a BEGIN
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.9884355,-96.0109096,3a,75y,271.93h,100.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1skIkXVkRgWdO_1b8pvWpJCg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

I was just looking around this area and noticed an error on a sign:  https://www.google.com/maps/@35.9884647,-96.0146832,3a,15y,274.8h,86.58t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s7UL6fSweYZnPRLhYfMDgSw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu



Shouldn't that sign be 117 and not 117A?  121st street all the way through Sapulpa is still signed 117; 117A is only in Sapulpa by the high school correct?

[rte66man]

Is this proposed widening of the OK 152 Airport Freeway an expansion of the freeway from four to six lanes?

Yes

[US75A]

Shouldn't that sign be 117 and not 117A?  121st street all the way through Sapulpa is still signed 117; 117A is only in Sapulpa by the high school correct?

Yes, it should be SH 117.     

SH 117A is still only in Sapulpa, but who knows how long it will remain since SH 66 is now rerouted over the entire length of SH 117A. 

[The Ghostbuster]

Does anyone know when signage of Interstate 240/Interstate 344 will be installed on Airport Rd. and the John Kilpatrick Turnpike?

[Scott5114]

Does anyone know when signage of Interstate 240/Interstate 344 will be installed on Airport Rd. and the John Kilpatrick Turnpike?

Why do you need to know? It's doubtful that even ODOT knows at this point.

[The Ghostbuster]

Just curious. I take it the answer to my question is no.

[triplemultiplex]

Their numbering scheme is going to be rejected by FHWA and AASHTO, so never.
OKDOT will be sent home reading material and have to redo their assignment.

<edit>

Catching up other threads, apparently AASHTO still does smoke some crack since they're down with bad idea I-344.  Maybe FHWA will still do their job and force them to give this loop an even number.   

[bugo]

SH 117A is still only in Sapulpa, but who knows how long it will remain since SH 66 is now rerouted over the entire length of SH 117A. 

When was OK 66 moved? Where does it run now? Was OK 33 truncated?

[US75A]

SH 117A is still only in Sapulpa, but who knows how long it will remain since SH 66 is now rerouted over the entire length of SH 117A. 

When was OK 66 moved? Where does it run now? Was OK 33 truncated?

It was moved in October or November 2022, I don't recall the exact date.   

The new route has 66 multiplexed with 117 between the west end of 117 and the junction with 117A and multiplexed over the entire route of 117A.  The City of Sapulpa wanted 66 out of downtown and this was the result. 

33 isn't signed on the new route....but it wasn't mentioned during the news stories when the rerouting and handover of the old 66 route to the city of Sapulpa were discussed.   The "West 33" signs where 66 formerly turned west at 117A are gone, so.....

[rte66man]

SH 117A is still only in Sapulpa, but who knows how long it will remain since SH 66 is now rerouted over the entire length of SH 117A. 

When was OK 66 moved? Where does it run now? Was OK 33 truncated?

It was moved in October or November 2022, I don't recall the exact date.   

The new route has 66 multiplexed with 117 between the west end of 117 and the junction with 117A and multiplexed over the entire route of 117A.  The City of Sapulpa wanted 66 out of downtown and this was the result. 

33 isn't signed on the new route....but it wasn't mentioned during the news stories when the rerouting and handover of the old 66 route to the city of Sapulpa were discussed.   The "West 33" signs where 66 formerly turned west at 117A are gone, so.....

I thought 33 was truncated at 66 east of Kellyville and has been since 412 subsumed it east of Tulsa

[bugo]

I thought 33 was truncated at 66 east of Kellyville and has been since 412 subsumed it east of Tulsa

It ended at Dewey and Mission for years.

[swake]

I thought 33 was truncated at 66 east of Kellyville and has been since 412 subsumed it east of Tulsa

It ended at Dewey and Mission for years.

Maybe if there was a helpful "END" sign?

[US75A]

I thought 33 was truncated at 66 east of Kellyville and has been since 412 subsumed it east of Tulsa

It ended at Dewey and Mission for years.

Maybe if there was a helpful "END" sign?

That'd be too easy. 

Before all of this rerouting business, there was no "END 33" sign at Dewey & Mission, but it was signed west of there.   The "TO 33" and "33 West" signs on southbound Mission were removed when 66 was rerouted (there wasn't any 33 signs on northbound Mission).     

The odd thing is that they left the "33" sign at the west end up of 117 when they removed the "66" from the assembly that showed a right turn to go east on 33/66. 

[jdingus]

So with I-240 being extended to the new I-344 are they going to have to redo the mileage and the exit numbers?

[rte66man]

Is this proposed widening of the OK 152 Airport Freeway an expansion of the freeway from four to six lanes?

April Tentative Bid Opening
32882(08) 4 SH152 2.100 GRADE,DRAIN,BRIDGE & SURFACE 12,900,000.00
OKLAHOMA SH-152: FROM MERIDIAN EAST TO I-44, AND SOUTH ALONG I-44 TO 74TH ST.
NHPP -255N (534) PM

I'll see if I can find the details. It's hard to find plans after ODOT 'improved' their website.

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSz2ZO_fm-c

OTA's March 5th board meeting...

Skip to the 28-minute mark on the approval of the John Kilpatrick Turnpike to I-344 and the Kickapoo Turnpike to I-335.

TLDW: The OTA board approved with a 5-0 vote on the designations of the John Kilpatrick Turnpike to I-344 and the Kickapoo Turnpike to I-335.

[The Ghostbuster]

Does that mean the Airport Freeway segment will remain OK 152? Or will it still become an extension of Interstate 240?

[Bobby5280]

I would think the I-344 designation would consume the Airport Freeway portion of OK-152 so both ends of I-344 would terminate at I-44. That would make more logical sense than extending I-240 along Airport Road, where the I-240 designation would merely change to I-344 at a partial exit for OK-152. Or will ODOT have I-240 follow OK-152 to end at a traffic signal for SW 59th Street? That too would be utterly stupid looking on a map.

Obviously the I-335 route would need to follow the proposed Kickapoo Turnpike extension down to Purcell and I-35.

Another interesting question is if the East-West Connector Turnpike between I-44 and proposed I-344 will get an Interstate designation. If so, it should probably be an I-x35 numbered route to save some I-x44 numbers for elsewhere in the state.

The Tri-City Connector Turnpike (going around the West side of Will Rogers Airport in OKC) would be another potential Interstate route. If/when that one gets built it could possibly be a further extension of I-344 and make an extension of I-240 onto Airport Road slightly more logical. But I-240 would be able to follow Airport Road for only about 4 miles before reaching the interchange with the Tri-City Connector Turnpike and I-344. Would such a short extension of an Interstate designation even be worth it? I think it would be less confusing for the Tri-City Connector to get its own specific route designation, be it an OK-3XX route or an I-x44 route.

[Henry]

I can hear the arguments that I-344 is a bad designation for a highway that will meet I-44 on both ends. I-644 and I-844 are still available, so I think it's likely that AASHTO/FHWA will suggest one of these two numbers to ODOT.

I also think that I-335 is premature, because opposition can always stop the Kickapoo extension dead in its tracks, and then the shit will truly hit the fan, as it were. I-344 would make a better designation for that.

[Bobby5280]

I don't like these "I-3XX" Interstate loop numbers very much either. For whatever reason the OTA just got fixated on these SH-3XX designation numbers for turnpikes. There are only 3 possible Interstate 3xx route designations in Oklahoma. And Tulsa has an existing OK-344 designation applied to the Gilcrease Expressway. When completed, that would actually make more sense as an "I-344." The Kilpatrick Turnpike should have been called I-844 or I-440. OKC could use plenty of I-x35 and I-x40 designations without burning up I-x44 numbers that could potentially be used in Tulsa (or even Lawton).

I think the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is going to have an easier time legally speaking building the Kickapoo Turnpike extension down to I-35 than what they faced with the East-West Connector Turnpike passing between Moore and Norman. There isn't a lot of homes out in the proposed path of that turnpike. The turnpike extension looks like it will pass far enough North and West of Lake Thunderbird to avoid most of the big houses built near the lake. The turnpike could actually spark a boom of new homes and businesses in that area due to the improved highway access.

The East-West Connector is going to get built earlier than some of the other Access Oklahoma projects. It's in the design phase currently.

The East-West Connector Turnpike will at least set the stage for the Northern half of the Kickapoo Turnpike extension to get built. That connector turnpike has to connect to something. The segment going down to Slaughterville and Purcell may get built last.

[The Ghostbuster]

Maybe they should hold off on signing the Interstate 335 designation along the Kickapoo Turnpike until the extension southward connects with Interstate 35. An alternative would be to temporarily number the Kickapoo Turnpike OK 335. Although this is unlikely to happen, maybe when Interstate 344 is signposted along the John Kilpatrick Turnpike, the Interstate 235 designation could be extended north along the US 77 freeway to end at 344.

[JMoses24]

Maybe they should hold off on signing the Interstate 335 designation along the Kickapoo Turnpike until the extension southward connects with Interstate 35. An alternative would be to temporarily number the Kickapoo Turnpike OK 335. Although this is unlikely to happen, maybe when Interstate 344 is signposted along the John Kilpatrick Turnpike, the Interstate 235 designation could be extended north along the US 77 freeway to end at 344.

Welp, they're not going to do that, since it sounds like signs will go up within the month. So we have what we have.

[Bobby5280]

I would have nothing against extending the I-235 designation farther North to the Kilpatrick Turnpike since it will be signed as I-344. Broadway Extension certainly meets Interstate standards (especially since it was widened back in the 2000's). And Edmond is a control city for I-235.