Ramping up
I-235/I-44 junction racing toward fall finish with opening of second flyover
The second of two Dallas-style flyover ramps connecting Interstate 235 and Interstate 44 opens
Thursday with reconstruction of the junction on track for an opening by this fall.
The new eastbound flyover to northbound I -235 eliminates a second cloverleaf ramp, the other one from northbound I- 235 to westbound I-44 having been replaced last year.
Two more cloverleaf ramps will be rebuilt for extended run son the west half of the junction. Terri Angier, Oklahoma Transportation spokeswoman, said the junction was originally designed for about 50,000 vehicles daily.
“Traffic had totally outgrown its capacity,” Angier said .“We had 90,000 to
100,000 vehicles traveling on I-235. When completed, we look at it carrying 125,000.”
Construction on I -235/ Broadway Extension began in the late1990s with replacement of the NW 63 bridge over Broadway and reconstruction and widening of the highway north to Edmond. Construction then moved to a stretch between NW 23 and NW 36 that included replacement of a railway bridge.
The junction frustrated drivers daily who encountered collisions and slowdowns on the short stretches between the cloverleaf ramps.
During construction, drivers have navigated through tight detour lanes, short exit ramp sand numerous lane changes. Angier said the new ramp will eliminate some of the challenges drivers face but asked that they still take alternate routes whenever possible.
“This phase, we said going in, would be the most destructive ,” Angie rs aid. “We recognize the inconvenience to drivers with short merger sand the lowered speed limits.”
Angie rs aid a new main bridge along I-235 over I-44 should open this summer with demolition then set for the current bridge. Southbound and northbound traffic will be routed along the new bridge until construction of the new southbound bridge is completed later this year.
Work also will begin in the
next few months on a new northbound exit to NW 63.
“They plan to close it for up to 45 days,” Angier said. “We' re hoping it won't be 45. But there is a lot of work to be done to realign the 63rd Street ramp.”
Allen Contracting also is allowed up to five shutdowns of the highway. The contractor has a phased $ 2 million incentive for early completion, which Angie rs aid is balanced against the need to minimize traffic disruptions.
She said drivers may not be subjected to all the shutdowns permitted by the construction contact. So far traffic has been shut down for short stints on I-235 but not along I-44.
“Given all the challenges with t he workforce during COVID and the weather we had in October, they normally would have been delayed,” Angier said. “But they are on schedule. We're hoping they will make good time.”
The final phase of the project will start in 2023 with a ramp from Lincoln Boulevard that will allow travelers from the state Capitol to directly connect with Broadway Extension instead of hopping onto I-44 to then merge with Broadway Extension.
That construction is not expected to impact traffic on the junction other than where the new ramp will be connected. The Lincoln
Boulevard connection will last about a year.
“We really appreciate the drivers who have partnered with us,” Angier said. “We're hoping once this phase is done we can leave them alone for a while.”
Staff writer Steve Lackmeyer is a 30-year reporter, columnist and author who covers downtown Oklahoma City and related urban development for The Oklahoman. Contact him at slackmeyer@ oklahoman.com. Please support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a subscription today at oklahoman.com/subscribe.