ACCESS Oklahoma

[Scott5114]

The way the map looks on the ACCESS Oklahoma web site the East-West Connector Turnpike main lanes would be built North of Indian Hills Road from the Canadian River to I-35. Indian Hills Road would be turned into a South side frontage road. Just East of I-35, past 24th Ave NW, the main lanes shift Southward to where Indian Hills Road would be the North side frontage road.

Since Indian Hills Road is the boundary between Norman and Moore, it's entirely possible Norman's choosing to not get involved in this plan may have simply been that they didn't feel they had enough of a stake in it to stick their neck out—it would be a high risk, low reward scenario for the city council.

Norman is a college town. Besides, Oklahoma does have a decent number of "progressive" residents. Maybe not enough to make differences in big elections. But they do end up in positions like urban planning.

I remember; I lived in Norman for 15 years. The desert hasn't cooked my brain that badly yet.

In my estimation, turnpike opposition in Norman tends to fall into three main baskets: NIMBYs directly affected by the project; Republican/libertarian BANANAs that don't want the government to spend a dime on anything, ever, anywhere, for any reason; and environmentalists. (When we lived in Norman, my wife opposed the turnpikes because she felt they would negatively impact the environment around Lake Thunderbird. We agreed to disagree on the topic.)

[Bobby5280]

I think the only people with legit complaints about turnpike proposals such as this one are the property owners who would be directly affected. My sympathy really goes out to any individual home owners whose personal residence would be impacted. Right now would be an extremely shitty time to get paid "fair market value" for your house and be forced to find some place else to live. Home prices are currently batshit insane.

The Libertarian types who want no money spent on anything are hypocrites. They'll bitch just as much as anyone when roads are going bad, if crime rates increase in their town, etc. Infrastructure costs money. Everything from police departments to garbage removal costs money. I guess they believe anyone working a government-related job should do that work for free.

I've seen plenty of environmentalists protest super highway projects. But ordinary surface streets do just as much, if not even more, to contribute to motor vehicle pollution levels. If you're making most of your road trip on a turnpike you're getting from point a to point b faster. The vehicle gets better gas mileage on the highway. It isn't spending as much time idling at traffic signals. The vehicle isn't cycling through its low gears as often.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Next 2 projects to be awarded on the ACCESS Oklahoma program...

1. September 2024 (September 10th): T-MC-128B (Turner Turnpike - Lincoln County) Pavement Widening & Stroud Service Plaza Modernization

Estimated construction cost: $33,306,698
Lowest Bidder: Becco Contractors, Inc. at $38,497,000.00

2. November 2024 (November 7th): JKT-30005 & JKT-30705 (John Kilpatrick Turnpike - Oklahoma County) Grade, Drain, and Surface (MP 132-135) between Eastern Avenue and I-35/I-44 interchange

Estimated construction cost: $16 million

[Plutonic Panda]

I wish They would remove those left ramps in and out of the plaza so you enter it from the right side of the road. I wonder what their plans for this modernization is. Just simply rebuilding the existing facilities?

[Great Lakes Roads]

I wish They would remove those left ramps in and out of the plaza so you enter it from the right side of the road. I wonder what their plans for this modernization is. Just simply rebuilding the existing facilities?

OTA's plan is to move the ramps to/from the WB service plaza from the left side to the right side while also moving and straightening the WB lanes to parallel the EB lanes with space for an ultimate six-lane facility.

[Great Lakes Roads]

An update on the ACCESS Oklahoma program as of September 2024.

[Bobby5280]

The design update to the East-West Connector Turnpike is live at the ACCESS Oklahoma web site.

The turnpike definitely has a much slimmer looking design. I just hope they acquire enough ROW to have at least some room for adding lanes in the future. I don't know if this turnpike will be initially built as a 2x2 lanes facility or 3x3. But they better reserve enough room for at least a 3x3 foot print, if not 4x4.

I'm glad to see the directional stack interchange at I-35 survived this design revision stage. I don't remember how many exits to surface streets the East-West Connector had in its previous design. This current version shows only two exits. There's one exit between I-44 and I-35: at Western Ave/60th Ave NW. The only surface street exit East of I-35 is at S Sooner Road/12 Ave NE. That should be convenient for Belmar Golf Club members.

With only 5 interchanges along its length the East-West Connector Turnpike could end up with speed limits higher than I expect. I'd figure an urban turnpike would be signed at maybe 65mph. This one could have 70mph or 75mph speed limits. But I do worry this road will be built in 2x2 lanes configuration within a minimal size footprint.