I-240 extension in Oklahoma City

[Mergingtraffic]

I always thought even prefixes can be used for loops or connecting to another interstate and both ends and even a 3di.
Both proposed I-344 and I-335 could technically being even.
I'm not familiar with the proposed I-344 and the I-240 interchange but what about extending I-240 even further around the NW side of the city up to I-35 in the northside.

[triplemultiplex]

Read back in this thread. That was OKDOT's original pitch:  Make 240 loop all the way around, ride 44 to the Kickapoo, and back south to 40.

But then they shifted gears to this stupid 344 bullshit to service some made up rule about numbering turnpikes in their state.  And now I hate it.  I'd rather there be no 3di than this idiocy.

[Scott5114]

Now just imagine if all of your life was affected by decision-making of this caliber, and you know what it's like to live in Oklahoma.

[kphoger]

Still, it's better than Texas's ongoing infatuation with letter suffixes.

[Bobby5280]

I'm not so sure about that. Still kind of expecting to see an "End I-240" post sign at the traffic signal of OK-152 and SW 59th Street. Then maybe Tulsa will have an I-364 loop despite its parent route ending over 350 miles away in St Louis. But that's how the OTA rolls.

[jdingus]

So will they have to redo all the exit numbers on I-240 as well?

[The Ghostbuster]

They very likely will have to renumber 240's exits, with each exit likely increasing by 6 or 7 digits. They should also reconfigure the Interstate 44/Interstate 240 East interchange so that Interstate 44 traffic doesn't have to exit to stay on 44. The Interstate 44/OK 152 West interchange should also be reconfigured so that all exit and entrance ramps are on the right-hand side. Finally, the John Kilpatrick Turnpike should get rid of their mile markers that are in the 100s.

[vdeane]

They very likely will have to renumber 240's exits, with each exit likely increasing by 6 or 7 digits

So current exit 3 might become exit 3000000?

[The Ghostbuster]

I mean 6 or 7 digits higher than they already are (e.g. Exit 3 becomes Exit 9 or Exit 10). I would have thought that was obvious.

[Scott5114]

I mean 6 or 7 digits higher than they already are (e.g. Exit 3 becomes Exit 9 or Exit 10). I would have thought that was obvious.

Nobody ever words that in that way. The word "digits" refers to numerical characters, not their value. If someone says "The temperature today will hit triple digits" nobody thinks it's going to be 3°.

[jdingus]

Saw that Apple Maps and Google Maps have reflected the change of I-240

[Plutonic Panda]

Still no word on when signage might go up? I'm anxious to see people like some of my relatives who couldn't care less see I-344 on the Kilpatrick. lol

[jdingus]

The news said within the next two months

[The Ghostbuster]

Hopefully, they'll number Interstate 344's exits, and renumber Interstate 240's exits (as well as number the exits on the section of 240 replacing OK 152) at the same time as Interstate signage is erected. I wonder if Mile 0 on 344 will be at the 152/240 interchange or at the 35/44 interchange?

[Henry]

I still think it's a dumb move to have I-240 suddenly change to I-344, especially when there's no other freeway to divide them (a la I-90/Mass Pike splitting up I-290 and I-395). I'll just walk back the original thoughts of I-240 and say that it should've been extended up the Kilpatrick Turnpike as originally proposed; fuck I-344.

[Plutonic Panda]

I still think it's a dumb move to have I-240 suddenly change to I-344, especially when there's no other freeway to divide them (a la I-90/Mass Pike splitting up I-290 and I-395). I'll just walk back the original thoughts of I-240 and say that it should've been extended up the Kilpatrick Turnpike as originally proposed; fuck I-344.

In the back of my mind, I'm hoping it dips south and goes through Mustang and reconnect with i40 Westward. Even though that's highly unlikely.

[Scott5114]

I still think it's a dumb move to have I-240 suddenly change to I-344, especially when there's no other freeway to divide them (a la I-90/Mass Pike splitting up I-290 and I-395). I'll just walk back the original thoughts of I-240 and say that it should've been extended up the Kilpatrick Turnpike as originally proposed; fuck I-344.

https://www.accessoklahoma.com/tri-city-connector

If you look at the maps of this, it sure looks like extending I-344 onto it would make a lot of sense.

[Bobby5280]

Signing I-344 onto the Tri-City Connector (West of Will Rogers Airport and down to I-44) would be the only thing to make this short Westward extension of I-240 make any sense at all. It would relieve us from the lunacy of having I-240 effectively end at a traffic light for SW 59th Street.

[Plutonic Panda]

I hope they build that new oil refinery in Cushing, but I'm worried that might've been canceled.

[Bobby5280]

What does a refinery over in Cushing have to do with I-240?

[vdeane]

If they extended I-344 over the Tri-City Connector, would they then try to overlap I-44 to extend it over the East-West Connector?  That's the only way I can see them keeping their precious "3xx means Turnpike" rule with it and have an interstate designation (although I suppose they could have some congressman write up I-335W and I-335E...).

[Bobby5280]

It's possible OTA could try signing I-344 over both the Tri-City Connector and East-West Connector turnpikes, but that would result in an overlay with I-44 lasting around 5-6 miles.

I think the East-West Connector Turnpike should have its own Interstate designation, something like either I-644 or I-635.

The "turnpikes must have I-3XX numbers" is a very stupid rule. We already have an OK-344 route in Tulsa; that's what really should have been I-344. The thing they're calling I-344 now (the Kilpatrick Turnpike) really should have been designated as I-440. The I-440 designation would have been perfect since it connects I-44 and I-40. It's painfully obvious. The OKC area shouldn't be burning up I-x44 designations when there's only so many to go around, plus they have the I-35 and I-40 parent routes running through there. Tulsa should have had priority on 3-digit I-44 route numbers.

[bugo]

The OTA posted this on its Facebook page on June 7, 2024.

motorola edge (2022)

[Scott5114]

I assumed that the reason they truncated OK-37 to I-44 was so they can extend it over the East-West Connector when it's done.

[SoonerCowboy]

I assumed that the reason they truncated OK-37 to I-44 was so they can extend it over the East-West Connector when it's done.

I could totally see that happening. Just reroute eastbound OK-37 to the east-west connector instead of using SW 134th/SW 4th st. It would also keep them with the dumbass "3" highway rule. LOL