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.
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7475/29070866094_f0c5704e92.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/LhTMFd)IMG_2398 (https://flic.kr/p/LhTMFd) by rte66man (https://www.flickr.com/photos/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).
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.
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.
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.
When will the boulevard be completed? And will it have any route designation?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
(https://andrewkstewart.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/market-circle_early-concept.jpg)
(https://andrewkstewart.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/mc_image-6-e1420520002456.jpg?w=1092&h=400&crop=1)
(https://andrewkstewart.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/mc_overall.jpg?w=1091)
But unfortunately that is too forward thinking for OKC at this time. Perhaps the city will revisit this idea?
@PluPlan, you should have given them the URL for the OKCTalk thread :bigass:
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".
Eric posted back in 2012 (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=5746.msg129021#msg129021) that the boulevard was proposed to become Business Loop I-40. Is that still the case?
What's the deal with the huge traffic circle? Does the boulevard really need a traffic circle? It looks out of place to me.
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on September 20, 2016, 06:23:56 PM
What's the deal with the huge traffic circle? Does the boulevard really need a traffic circle? It looks out of place to me.
It's not unheard of, hazel dell pkwy, towne rd and many roads in carmel are built like this.
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9778911,-86.0706165,3a,75y,38.08h,86.42t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sJxFD8vFro_vufXe7wuC68w!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DJxFD8vFro_vufXe7wuC68w%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dsearch.TACTILE.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D392%26h%3D106%26yaw%3D37.645275%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656
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.
Let's number the road Business Route I-40, and call it a day.
As far as I know, OkDOT does not allow highway designations to be posted on locally-maintained roads.
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?
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
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 (https://www.ok.gov/triton/modules/newsroom/newsroom_article.php?id=277&article_id=26527)
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 (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?)
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 (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.
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.
When the old I-40 elevated freeway was there not too many people were walking under I-40 East of Shields Blvd. There wasn't much reason to cross under the road. The new boulevard will have sidewalks on both sides of the road that tie into the Bricktown canal sidewalks. Unfortunately there isn't any pedestrian crossing across the new boulevard between the Bricktown canal and Shields. They probably need to build some kind of pedestrian bridge halfway between, in front of the Harkins movie theater.
Pedestrian access along the new boulevard will be much better between Shields and Classen.
It seems the BLVD is a failure to me. It neither functions as good road for cars or pedestrians. Honestly, imo, the Friends for a Better BLVD. caused it. ODOT had originally planned to have much of it elevated with 3 lanes each which would have been the best alternative but it is the exact same width, nearly the same access, just with lower speed limits, more traffic signals, and less lanes. Essentially giving us a road designed to be a partially limited access facility that will now act like a road to please the urbanists.
This will still suck in terms of walkability and will give the city police(which OKC is already over policed as it is, imo), the incentive to create a speed trap as people will not follow the speed limit which I believe will be set to 25MPH in some portions on a road that really is designed to be 60-70. I usually hit the west end portion at around 65MPH and have no issues though I do slow to about 50MPH on the flyovers. Be very careful however as the police have enjoyed sitting where the extra lanes were going to to nab these horrible speeders.
The only route now is for the city to do a complete overhaul on it to make it more pedestrian friendly which I see costing north of 20 million for the entire stretch. I also see the city not doing that and going the cheap route by adding a painted bike lane and taking out the dead ends to allow for a right turn only access on some streets. Reno won't have left turns either.
Seeing as how the city completely fucked P180 up(there are still streets with no painted lane markers or crosswalks years after being completed) and having to remove over half of the original project plans, I just don't envision the city proactively doing anything about this stretch of road once its handed back to them.
Problem I see with OKC is a small town mentality and that really showed with the BLVD. I am very interested in seeing the final result in person and I am excited to have a downtown dispersal BLVD., which most cities, including Tulsa(though theirs sucks), have.
I suppose I'm being overly pessimistic because I believe even once this is finished, we won't have our real Boulevard until 2030 because it will take the city a decade to really build it right which ODOT didn't do.
Couple of other notes, I am not fond of the left turn exit on I-35 though I am more understanding of that being that would appear that interchange is turning into more of a spaghetti junction than a polished interchange.
What are the signs on I-40 over each lane supposed to be? I have not ever seen those activated. Will they just have a red x and green arrow alerting motorists of lane closures?
If any of you had your way, how would you have built the OKC Boulevard differently?
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on November 02, 2016, 02:09:19 PM
If any of you had your way, how would you have built the OKC Boulevard differently?
That's what people have just been saying. Learn to read.
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on November 02, 2016, 02:09:19 PM
If any of you had your way, how would you have built the OKC Boulevard differently?
Have a look at this link. It includes renderings of possible use and is beautiful. It was done as a concept(as most great things now proposed in OKC are, just concepts) by a local architect who now moved to Seattle, but was very talented.
https://andrewkstewart.wordpress.com/category/ideas/urban-design/the-new-oklahoma-city-boulevard/
There isn't room to make I-244 12 lanes in downtown Tulsa.
Nexus 5X
Oklahoma has one of the lowest gasoline taxes in the nation. On top of that the toll rates per mile charged on Oklahoma turnpikes are a bargain compared to other toll roads around the nation. Yet our state's residents firmly believe they're paying too much money for roads. They refuse to clue themselves in on how much this stuff costs anymore. And thanks to the new tariffs going into effect, which are greatly amplifying the cost of steel, the road building costs are going to soar as a result.
I saw the Smashing Pumpkins last night at the Chesapeake arena. It took about 30 minutes to make it from where I was parked to finally pull out onto the street. Once I got out it was fine. OKC needs to put a light on Reno for the parking lot on the west side of the arena. I drove the eastern section of OKC Blvd. It should help with traffic on concert nights and when the Thunder play home games.
Nexus 5X
What is Tulsa's downtown dispersal boulevard?
Nexus 5X
Quote from: bugo on July 16, 2018, 01:38:53 AM
What is Tulsa's downtown dispersal boulevard?
Nexus 5X
IDL? That literally surrounds the city? Though in this case, this is the rare case where I think a freeway should be removed. At least one leg of the IDL, could be removed, and I'm thinking the section that is between downtown T Town and TSU.
The IDL is a freeway, not a boulevard.
Nexus 5X
Quote from: bugo on July 17, 2018, 01:44:56 AM
The IDL is a freeway, not a boulevard.
Nexus 5X
Yeah but it's so close to their downtown and acts like a dispersal Boulevard in a way by having so many entrances and exits and that snake right into the core. OKC has a few like that in Deep Deuce, but to the extend of Tulsa's.
There were a few posts on OKCTalk recently where someone dug up some old news articles from 1998, when Kirk Humphreys was mayor. Humphreys was concerned that moving I-40 so far south would make getting into downtown difficult because people would have to drive "for blocks" to get to downtown. Thus the Boulevard.
Of course, there was no Thunder then, Bricktown was still a brand-new idea, the canal and the then-Ford Center were either under construction or just coming online. During Mick Cornett's time as mayor, the way we think of downtown OKC has radically changed. It seems as though the government of OKC has kept up with the changes but ODOT has not. Thus the Boulevard.