Metro-area highway system upgrades continue

Motorists can continue to expect construction within several Oklahoma City metro interstate work zones this spring, but with the promise of improved pavement conditions and safety updates along some of the most heavily traveled corridors within the city.

The I-235/I-44 interchange project has hit two major milestones with the recent opening of the two flyover ramps, making this the first four-level interchange on Oklahoma’s highway system. This significant interchange project is on schedule to be completed in fall 2021.

The I-40 Del City bridge project also remains on schedule, but motorists can expect continued lane and ramp closures through 2023.

The newest project that will impact up to 150,000 motorists daily starts March 1 and is expected to be complete in late summer 2021 at I-35 just south of the I-35/I-235/I-40 Dallas Junction between Southeast 15th Street and just south of I-40 and the Oklahoma River. This work is a heavy maintenance project to extend the lifespan of these I-35 bridges.

The following is an update of all the major projects taking place in and around Oklahoma County:

I-235 and I-44

I-235/US-77/Broadway Ext. and I-44 interchange - Off Broadway

This project of up to $105 million will reconstruct and widen I-235 to at least six lanes between North 50th Street and Northwest 63rd Street and construct a four-level interchange with flyover ramps. The project began in late March 2019 and continues through fall 2021.

I-235 remains open to two lanes in each direction, but lanes are narrowed and shifted, and the speed limit is reduced. There will be night and weekend closures later in the project, including full weekend closures for overhead bridge work, and closures of the North 50th Street and North 63rd Street ramps. I-44 lanes are narrowed and shifted between Kelley Avenue and Western Avenue through summer 2021.

The final phase (nearly $17 million) in FY 2023 will reconstruct the northeast quadrant of the interchange, including a direct connection from North Lincoln Boulevard to northbound US-77/Broadway Extension.

I-40

Improvements are underway on I-40 east at Crutcho Creek, Southeast 15th Street and Sooner Road

I-40 bridge reconstruction and widening at Crutcho Creek, SE 15th St. and Sooner Rd. in Del City

The six bridges will be reconstructed and widened for future additional lanes along I-40 at an estimated nearly $80 million in a combined project.

This project was awarded in June 2020 and construction started September 2020. The project is estimated to take 2.5 years to complete. These bridges are structurally deficient and monopolize the Oklahoma City metro’s maintenance resources due to poor conditions and frequent repairs.

Work started in late March 2020 to resurface I-40 for $1.4 million between the I-35/Fort Smith Junction and Sooner Road to prep the driving surface for the upcoming project. Work will be completed by early May 2021.

I-40

I-40 and Sooner Road

I-40 east corridor study from I-35 to Douglas Boulevard

This ongoing engineering study is looking at traffic patterns, future traffic growth and other future needs of the I-40 corridor such as additional lanes, modification to access such as ramps and frontage roads and new bridges.

The $1.6 million study contract was awarded in 2015 and is in progress. The corridor study is broken into two areas: I-40 between Reno Avenue and Hudiburg Drive, and I-40 between Hudiburg Drive and Industrial Boulevard.

I-40 interchange construction at Frisco Road in Yukon

A new I-40 interchange will be built at Frisco Road in Yukon to relieve traffic congestion at nearby interchanges including Garth Brooks Boulevard.

This $14 million project was awarded in July 2020 and work began in September 2020. Completion is expected to take nearly a year. The project is in partnership with the City of Yukon and the Federal Highway Administration.

I-35

I-35 bridge rehabilitation over Stillwater Central Railroad between just south of I-40 and the Oklahoma River and SE 15th Street

The I-35 bridge between Southeast 15th Street and I-40 and the Oklahoma River will be rehabilitated and will include deck and limited structure repairs.

The contract of just less than $2 million was awarded and work was expected to begin March 1, 2021, and continue through summer 2021.This work will be very disruptive to traffic as the bridges will be worked on one-half at a time. This means traffic will be narrowed to two lanes in each direction and the project will include intermittent ramp closures.

I-35 corridor study in Moore and Norman

ODOT, City of Moore and City of Norman partnered on a $775,000 study beginning in 2017 to look at I-35 interchanges, on- and off-ramps and service roads between just north of North 5th Street in Moore and Main Street in Norman.

Upcoming construction projects identified as part of the corridor study include: intersection modification on Robinson Street just west of I-35 in Norman (contract awarded); modifications to the I-35 service roads and ramps at Indian Hills Road in Norman; and modifications to the I-35 service roads and ramps at South 19th Street in Moore.

I-35 – Upcoming

I-35 pavement rehabilitation between I-44 and Kilpatrick Turnpike

An estimated $8 million for pavement rehabilitation in FFY 2021.

I-35 and I-240 Crossroads interchange

Four remaining construction phases scheduled for FFY 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2027 will complete reconstruction of the I-35 and I-240 junction to a multi-level interchange with flyover ramps, similar to what is being built at I-235 and I-44.

The estimated costs for the phases are $28 million, $21 million, $20 million, and $30 million.

I-44

I-44 pavement and bridge rehabilitation between I-40 and SW 74th St.

This $28 million project will rehabilitate the I-44 bridges and pavement between I-40 and Southwest 74th Street continues through 2021.

The project includes the rehabilitation of the bridges over the Oklahoma River, bridges over Southwest 29th Street, the eastbound bridge over Independence Avenue, bridges over Southwest 59th Street and the eastbound bridge over I-240.

This article originally appeared in the March 2021 edition of The Point.