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OKC Boulevard

Started by rte66man, September 15, 2016, 09:34:12 AM

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rte66man

Rather than exhuming one of the old threads, I decided to start a new one to keep track of the actual construction of the Oklahoma City downtown boulevard.

IMG_2398 by rte66man, on Flickr

Looking west at the BNSF overpass. Paving should begin soon with the leg from the Dallas Junction to EK Gaylord open before the end of the year (I hope).
When you come to a fork in the road... TAKE IT.

                                                               -Yogi Berra


Bobby5280

I'm wondering how many surface street connections there will be with the OKC Boulevard between Shields/K Gaylord Blvd and the I-40/I-35 interchange. It would be nice to be able to turn off OKC Boulevard directly into the South parking lot by Harkins Theaters to go watch a movie. But the driveways could cause a traffic clusterf**k with cars entering or leaving the Interstates at high speeds. It will be interesting to see if there are any intersections or driveways at all on that stretch.

okroads

Quote from: Bobby5280 on September 15, 2016, 10:09:52 AM
I'm wondering how many surface street connections there will be with the OKC Boulevard between Shields/K Gaylord Blvd and the I-40/I-35 interchange. It would be nice to be able to turn off OKC Boulevard directly into the South parking lot by Harkins Theaters to go watch a movie. But the driveways could cause a traffic clusterf**k with cars entering or leaving the Interstates at high speeds. It will be interesting to see if there are any intersections or driveways at all on that stretch.

There will be an intersection at Oklahoma Avenue & OKC Blvd but that will be the only at-grade between I-40 & Shields/EK Gaylord.

Scott5114

The OKC Boulevard is designed as kind of odd duck. It tries to split the difference between a high speed road and a city street. I'm not sure if it's going to be able to function effectively as either.

After OkDOT turns it over to the city, I wouldn't be surprised if the city reconstructs it to be more of a city street after a few years.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

The Ghostbuster

When will the boulevard be completed? And will it have any route designation?

Scott5114

I don't believe it will have any route designation. It is being constructed by OkDOT along the right-of-way of the old I-40 Crosstown Expressway, and will be turned over to the city of OKC when it's done. It is intended to make it easier to get into downtown from the realigned I-40 and I-35. (How successful it will be is questionable, as, like the Crosstown, it bypasses pretty much all of the Bricktown district east of downtown proper, which is where most people are actually going when they're going downtown for anything other than work.)

If OkDOT were to retain it, it would make a nice Bus I-40.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

compdude787

Quote from: okroads on September 15, 2016, 11:09:31 AM
Quote from: Bobby5280 on September 15, 2016, 10:09:52 AM
I'm wondering how many surface street connections there will be with the OKC Boulevard between Shields/K Gaylord Blvd and the I-40/I-35 interchange. It would be nice to be able to turn off OKC Boulevard directly into the South parking lot by Harkins Theaters to go watch a movie. But the driveways could cause a traffic clusterf**k with cars entering or leaving the Interstates at high speeds. It will be interesting to see if there are any intersections or driveways at all on that stretch.

There will be an intersection at Oklahoma Avenue & OKC Blvd but that will be the only at-grade between I-40 & Shields/EK Gaylord.

That's really surprising. I would have thought that it would be pretty much all at-grade, serving more local traffic whereas I-40 would serve thru traffic.

Bobby5280

There are safety considerations to take into account with the West and East ends of the new boulevard. They're effectively working just like a freeway to freeway interchange with cars entering and leaving the I-40 main lanes at high speed. You can't place a cross street in the path of that kind of exit a short distance away from where it departs or enters I-40. All kinds of accidents can occur with cars making turns in front of traffic still driving at high speed. Gotta have a safe enough amount of distance. Unfortunately the necessary safe distance for acceleration, deceleration and choosing lanes for a freeway to freeway style interchange does kind of defeat the purpose of the boulevard serving as a beautifying surface street for Bricktown. It's really going to be a freeway traffic launching pad there. Traffic in Bricktown is already aggravating enough. So any extra driveways and intersections along the new boulevard must be added as sparingly as possible.

Scott5114

Quote from: Bobby5280 on September 16, 2016, 12:53:47 AM
Traffic in Bricktown is already aggravating enough. So any extra driveways and intersections along the new boulevard must be added as sparingly as possible.

I would think that adding more intersections to the boulevard would improve traffic in Bricktown, since traffic would have another entrance to the district besides just Reno or Sheridan.

I think there's a way to build the road in such a way that drivers slow down when they exit the interstate and treat it like a surface road, but that doesn't seem to be what OkDOT is going for.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

Plutonic Panda

Would have been nice to see it six lanes all the way through. Now it is still just as wide, with lesser lanes, lower speed limits, and more free money for the OKC police which I bet will love this new road.

Plutonic Panda

I think the improvements come as a lower speed limit was achieved. I believe ODOT had around a 35-40 MPH speed limit through out the BLVD. but now it is 25 or 30 will be the posted speed limit. That's cool and all, until you realize the road is designed for much higher than that. What they should have done is build the road like this







But unfortunately that is too forward thinking for OKC at this time. Perhaps the city will revisit this idea?

rte66man

@PluPlan, you should have given them the URL for the OKCTalk thread  :bigass:
When you come to a fork in the road... TAKE IT.

                                                               -Yogi Berra

Scott5114

Random note on this–on some old sign plans I have sitting around, the boulevard is named Crosstown Boulevard. I have to say I like that name better. Less of a mouthful than "Oklahoma City Boulevard".
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

Alex

Eric posted back in 2012 that the boulevard was proposed to become Business Loop I-40. Is that still the case?

The Ghostbuster

What's the deal with the huge traffic circle? Does the boulevard really need a traffic circle? It looks out of place to me.

silverback1065


Bobby5280

I would think a Business Loop I-40 route would have to comply modern US highway standards. The one mile long Western end of the Crosstown Blvd that merges into I-40 seems sub-standard for a newly numbered highway route. It does not have adequate shoulders along its entire length for any emergency stops. The thing is paved more like a divided street with curbs running up to the edge of the lanes. At least there is a median, but no physical barriers to stop any cross-over collisions. I've only noticed these things because they're the same complaints I've had forever about Rogers Lane in Lawton (which now has the US-62 designation on it). Despite the almost freeway-like appearance the Western end of the Crosstown is best suited for slower speed limits. I think it's 45mph through there.

The Ghostbuster

Let's number the road Business Route I-40, and call it a day.

Scott5114

As far as I know, OkDOT does not allow highway designations to be posted on locally-maintained roads.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

rte66man

Quote from: Scott5114 on September 22, 2016, 06:06:55 PM
As far as I know, OkDOT does not allow highway designations to be posted on locally-maintained roads.

Does ODOT maintain Main Street (Bus I-40) thru Weatherford?
When you come to a fork in the road... TAKE IT.

                                                               -Yogi Berra

Scott5114

Quote from: rte66man on September 23, 2016, 09:54:41 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 22, 2016, 06:06:55 PM
As far as I know, OkDOT does not allow highway designations to be posted on locally-maintained roads.

Does ODOT maintain Main Street (Bus I-40) thru Weatherford?

It appears so: http://www.odot.org/maps/control-section/2012/map_csect_2012-20-custer.pdf
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

okc1

Steve Reynolds
Midwest City OK
Native of Southern Erie Co, NY

Interstate 69 Fan

Quote from: okc1 on October 28, 2016, 04:27:12 PM
Eastern section opened Friday.  Entire Blvd won't be done until 2020. https://www.ok.gov/triton/modules/newsroom/newsroom_article.php?id=277&article_id=26527
Google maps doesn't show it, but a YouTube video does. I would like the boulevard one day to be turned into a Interstate. (I-440 anyone?)
Apparently I’m a fan of I-69.  Who knew.

Plutonic Panda

Quote from: Interstate 69 Fan on November 01, 2016, 10:49:42 AM
Quote from: okc1 on October 28, 2016, 04:27:12 PM
Eastern section opened Friday.  Entire Blvd won't be done until 2020. https://www.ok.gov/triton/modules/newsroom/newsroom_article.php?id=277&article_id=26527
Google maps doesn't show it, but a YouTube video does. I would like the boulevard one day to be turned into a Interstate. (I-440 anyone?)
I agree with this, but right now traffic in OKC doesn't justify it.

okc1

Quotehow is this road even remotely walkable?
Only about one-half mile west of the current terminus is intended to have pedestrian crossings and frontage.  Physically, the old elevated highway had all streets pass under it to drive or walk.  Near Western and Classen, most of these will now dead-end, making one walk longer, as well as having to cross the Blvd.
Steve Reynolds
Midwest City OK
Native of Southern Erie Co, NY



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