Regarding US-75 North of downtown Dallas: It
appears to be Interstate quality. But I really have to wonder about the outer shoulders on some parts of it between downtown and just South of McKinney. Some of those shoulders look a bit too narrow. And then there's little to no inside shoulder on much of it, particularly the stretches with the single HOV lanes. The HOV lanes are hugged right up next to the concrete Jersey barrier. Once the HOV lanes end at Bethany Road US-75 North of there appears to be compliant with the latest Interstate standards up to where the new US-75 expansion/construction ends. I'm used to seeing rumble strips on the edge of the right lane and right shoulder on Interstate highways. It doesn't appear to be there on any of this new construction. But rumble strips are present on the older US-75 lanes leading up to the Red River.
The stretch between McAlester and Durant is not fun to drive at all for me. The Indian Nation Turnpike stretch is fine, other than some bumpy pavement. 4 lanes, limited access, 75 MPH speed limit and low traffic volumes. What more could you ask for?
Obviously the turnpike should have somehow been built up to Tulsa rather than just ending in Henryetta. US-75 from the Red River to McAlester can be a slog due to the combination of high volume truck traffic and traffic lights in places like Atoka. Speed traps are an aggravation.
Planned improvements in McAlester, Muskogee and Calera will convert a few more miles of US-69 to freeway quality. Hopefully those upgrades will pave the way for more freeway upgrades to happen elsewhere on the route. When enough of it is upgraded through the years maybe the obstructionists in Atoka and Stringtown will lose some of their clout during that time, or just get old and die off.