AASHTO Fall 2025 Meeting (Salt Lake City, UT)

[Alex]

I searched the Oklahoma Transportation Commission Meeting Agendas and found both Interstate Agenda Items.

The April 7, 2025 document includes the recommended approval for Interstate 644 (PDF page 49).

Add the designation of I-644 to a 32.79-mile stretch of Turnpike known as the Creek Turnpike, beginning west of Tulsa at the Junction of I-44 and the Creek Turnpike and continuing to the east of Tulsa at the Junction of I-44 and the Creek Turnpike.

The May 5, 2025 document includes the recommended approval for Interstate 353 (PDF page 31):

Add the designation of I-343 to a 52.31-mile stretch of Turnpike known as the Muskogee Turnpike, beginning at the Junction of the Creek Turnpike and the Muskogee Turnpike and continuing south to the junction of the Muskogee Turnpike and I-40.

[PColumbus73]

it'll be pretty funny seeing people absolutely lose their shit over the I-343 designation lol

Nah, we'll just have a bunch of posts about how to get I-43 routed all the way down from Wisconsin.

I-44 and I-36 in NC didn't get approved, but they rubber stamped I-343?

[wanderer2575]

Must be something about the number.  I'm still WTFing about the new M-343 designation outside Kalamazoo, MI.

[Max Rockatansky]

Probably few would care if the number was 340.  With 343 a great many of you now have something to talk about for years to come.

[PColumbus73]

Probably few would care if the number was 340.  With 343 a great many of you now have something to talk about for years to come.

I look forward to I-343 consuming the AARoads boards for many years to come!

[TBKS1]

Probably few would care if the number was 340.  With 343 a great many of you now have something to talk about for years to come.

I look forward to I-343 consuming the AARoads boards for many years to come!

I look forward to the day it gets signed, I'll definitely be making the four hour drive to Tulsa once I hear that it's signed. Also get to add it to some additional highway photo projects that I have going on as well.

[ElishaGOtis]

When was the last time the FHWA denied something that AASHTO approved?

[kurumi]

I got a Final report PDF back from the USRN, though we're waiting on the individual applications (which were said to be done at the end of last week, but nothing yet). I have the link in Google Drive, hopefully it works:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1adbUO0G03pa8O5Iqncp5Prl

There is some questionable grammar and poor wording all over this PDF file.

From Item 10:

Establish new Interstate to be a junction off I-44.

Huh?

The timeline checks out:
2025-11-12: most recent Fr*tz*wl post on this forum
2025-11-17: start of AASHTO fall meeting

Our colleague evidently has a new gig (and he knows the docs need a little more justification than "this is needed")

[hbelkins]

West Virginia requests its first BUSINESS route...US 52 for Bluefield

Keeping the existing  US 52 routing and putting the business route on other existing city streets, or routing US 52 across new WV 108 and putting the business route on the existing mainline?

To address the question of business routes in West Virginia, there have been some state route designations in the past. I'm most familiar with Business WV 34 in Hurricane, although most of the BUSINESS banners have been changed to ALT.

And FHWA will have final jurisdiction over I-343. Didn't FHWA reject North Carolina's original proposal for what became I-87?

[74/171FAN]

Didn't FHWA reject North Carolina's original proposal for what became I-87?

Yes, NCDOT had originally requested I-89 for I-87 and I-36 for I-42.

[formulanone]

I-644, uh ok

I-343, typo or send in the clowns

[WillWeaverRVA]

I-644, uh ok

I-343, typo or send in the clowns

The more I look at it the more I'm convinced it was meant to be I-340 but it was never corrected because Oklahoma

[CNGL-Leudimin]

I-343, what the freak? It's nowhere near I-43, not even in Wisconsin (the only state that should have it given it's also the only state I-43 runs through). I hope they meant I-340.

Also, I see some Pennsylvania items turned down. I wonder when was the last time that happened.

[Mapmikey]

West Virginia requests its first BUSINESS route...US 52 for Bluefield

Keeping the existing  US 52 routing and putting the business route on other existing city streets, or routing US 52 across new WV 108 and putting the business route on the existing mainline?

To address the question of business routes in West Virginia, there have been some state route designations in the past. I'm most familiar with Business WV 34 in Hurricane, although most of the BUSINESS banners have been changed to ALT.

And FHWA will have final jurisdiction over I-343. Didn't FHWA reject North Carolina's original proposal for what became I-87?

US 52 is replacing WV 108 and part of WV 123.

34 Business is almost certainly a posting error and the only state route business posting I am aware of.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Regarding US 64 Business being removed in Arkansas, which section is it? I'm not seeing which section this is, I'd assume it's either Mulberry, Earle, or Crawfordsville as I could see those sections as being otherwise useless.

It's the one in Alma.

[formulanone]

I-644, uh ok

I-343, typo or send in the clowns

The more I look at it the more I'm convinced it was meant to be I-340 but it was never corrected because Oklahoma

I honestly hope "343" gets posted in the field to annoy the purists. It'll make for another interesting piece of road-lore.

[GaryV]

To add more to the I-343 nonsense, if it goes from the new I-644 to I-30, shouldn't it be an even 3di?

[hotdogPi]

To add more to the I-343 nonsense, if it goes from the new I-644 to I-30, shouldn't it be an even 3di?

Notwithstanding your proposed extension to Texarkana, it's radial out of Tulsa and doesn't act like a beltway. An odd first digit is correct.

[GaryV]

To add more to the I-343 nonsense, if it goes from the new I-644 to I-30, shouldn't it be an even 3di?

Notwithstanding your proposed extension to Texarkana, it's radial out of Tulsa and doesn't act like a beltway. An odd first digit is correct.

Sorry, typo. From I-40 to new I-644.

[Big John]

Is I-343 named from the same people who named US 163?

[Avalanchez71]

I-343 is just another abominable and just dismal disgusting rubber stamp.  They should have used I-340 or really an even number could work since it goes to another interstate.  They could have even made it a northern section of I-37.

[WillWeaverRVA]

I-343 is just another abominable and just dismal disgusting rubber stamp.  They should have used I-340 or really an even number could work since it goes to another interstate.  They could have even made it a northern section of I-37.

It functions as a spur to Tulsa from I-40, so the odd number is correct. It really should be I-340.

[Molandfreak]

Is the Broken Arrow Expressway up to Interstate standards? I-343 isn't much of a spur if it requires following at least two other highways to reach the heart of Tulsa.

[Revive 755]

I look forward to I-343 consuming the AARoads boards for many years to come!

Depends how much attention North Carolina is paying.  Now that there's a growing precedent for random unconnected interstate numbers there's more potential for them to compensate for being low on even I-x85's and I-x40's.

[oscar]

Is the Broken Arrow Expressway up to Interstate standards? I-343 isn't much of a spur if it requires following at least two other highways to reach the heart of Tulsa.

With the new I-644, it does at least connect I-40 to another Interstate.

I-580 in California doesn't reach the heart (or any other part) of San Francisco. After intersecting with I-238, and passing through "there's no there there" Oakland, it skips around San Francisco to end in suburban Marin County.