And two years of IDL construction begins..

[YoungTulsan]

Work To Begin Soon On Inner Dispersal Loop

http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=10317762

Sounds like they are closing down two legs of the IDL (North and West) for an extended period of time.

The article says it should take 200 days for each direction, for a total of about 16 months.

What do you bet this turns into two years minimum?

My main question is, will people finally learn that the IDL is redundant when the legs are closed for two years?  I've heard many on here calling for the removal of one or two legs of the IDL.  I've heard the IDL called the Inner Dispersal Noose because it cuts off all community connections between downtown and surrounding neighborhoods.  I hear back when it was built, lots of historic homes, buildings, and neighborhoods were destroyed.

Anyhow, sounds like once completed the west and north legs will be renovated and ready to go for some time into the future.  That means they aren't going anywhere.  So which leg would you axe if you had the choice, the south leg or the east leg?

[nathanm]

So which leg would you axe if you had the choice, the south leg or the east leg?

Oddly enough, I use them all at various times. As I've written before, the best solution would be to leave the highway in place, but do what we can to make better connections to the neighborhoods surrounding downtown.

If I had to pick, I'd selfishly choose east, despite it being a bad idea.

[custosnox]

I personally would want east to go, simply because it is the portion that I use the least.

[SXSW]

North.  The IDL really makes integrating OSU-Tulsa into Brady difficult.  I think any momentum for doing this will have to be pushed by the university.

[Hoss]

North.  The IDL really makes integrating OSU-Tulsa into Brady difficult.  I think any momentum for doing this will have to be pushed by the university.

You guys can talk about this to death; it just isn't going to happen.  All parts of the IDL are part of the Interstate Highway System, a federal project.  The South and East legs are designated I-444 although they aren't signed as such.  North and West are I-244.

http://roads.tulok.net/roads/u-i444.html

[cannon_fodder]

Killing any of the legs has issues.

South:  commuter traffic

West:  Essentially to the interchange of 3 highways

North:  Interstate through traffic

East:  Least important, IMHO, but still a through highway and a major on/off access point to downtown.
- - -

If I could redo the entire system, I would opt out of the wrap around downtown structure by just having the BA leg.  Expand it to standard 8 lanes +/- merge etc. and keep it sunken.  Preferably with large bridges that can sustain small retail buildings ON the bridges (so as to NOT breakup the street scape too much).

I-244 would cut North of OSU Tulsa and be the buffer between dense and mixed use downtown and the traditional residential areas to the North.   I understand that a transition is preferred, but I-244 can't be killed entirely.  Make I-244, the BA and the other highways come together at one interchange in the neighborhood that has been cut off between highways and the river to the West of the BOk center (other side of the highway though.  Call it W. 1st and Quanah) so the remaining areas are attached to the downtown.  It doesn't seem to do them any good to have them separated and by themselves.

I know it won't happen and I don't think it would be worth $$$ to redo it, just sayin in hindsight something different would be good.  Probably even less freeways overall.  If the BA would have remained a 4 lane expressway maybe Tulsa would be a denser more walkable city.

[PepePeru]

I'd take that bet in a heartbeat.
2 years....right....
my money's on 2013.

[SXSW]

You guys can talk about this to death; it just isn't going to happen.  All parts of the IDL are part of the Interstate Highway System, a federal project.  The South and East legs are designated I-444 although they aren't signed as such.  North and West are I-244.

http://roads.tulok.net/roads/u-i444.html

I wouldn't get rid of it I would just advocate burying it like the south leg.  Uptown and downtown are fairly well-integrated because the IDL is below grade at this location. 

[custosnox]

I wouldn't get rid of it I would just advocate burying it like the south leg.  Uptown and downtown are fairly well-integrated because the IDL is below grade at this location. 

this actually makes a lot of since.  The east and north could both benifit from this.  I don't think it would be worth the money to buy the west however.

[nathanm]

this actually makes a lot of since.  The east and north could both benifit from this.  I don't think it would be worth the money to buy the west however.

Funny, it looks to me like the west is just as impacted by its leg of the IDL as the area to the north or Pearl.

I'd support a 'mini-Big Dig' to completely bury as much as possible of the IDL. It would be worth the money we'd have to spend to do it. It'll never happen in my lifetime, though. Even just trenched would be enough, it wouldn't have to be completely capped.

[Hoss]

Funny, it looks to me like the west is just as impacted by its leg of the IDL as the area to the north or Pearl.

I'd support a 'mini-Big Dig' to completely bury as much as possible of the IDL. It would be worth the money we'd have to spend to do it. It'll never happen in my lifetime, though. Even just trenched would be enough, it wouldn't have to be completely capped.

Would you support the same headache Boston got over the Dig?

[nathanm]

Would you support the same headache Boston got over the Dig?

Progress requires sacrifice, so yes. If you're talking about the substandard work done by the contractors? Not so much.

Having driven on the new road, I can only say that it's very nice (except when the ceiling falls in and kills you) and not yet overly congested. Not much of a view, though..unless you're a road geek.

[YoungTulsan]

keep it sunken.  Preferably with large bridges that can sustain small retail buildings ON the bridges (so as to NOT breakup the street scape too much).

^ This is the most we could possible hope for, and a great idea for future consideration.  A Big Dig would never happen, besides, what would the point be of a tunnel?  Just for people who wish to bypass downtown?

[nathanm]

^ This is the most we could possible hope for, and a great idea for future consideration.  A Big Dig would never happen, besides, what would the point be of a tunnel?  Just for people who wish to bypass downtown?

Tunnels can have exits to the surface. 

[TURobY]

My favorite view of downtown is rounding the Northwest leg of the IDL. You are high enough to have an unostructed view of everything.