New I-244 Bridge

[sgrizzle]

  Anyone up for an over/under pool on how long it is before some drunk decides to try it out before New Years?

Are they from Owasso?

[bacjz00]

Has anyone noticed the deco-style shield they've installed around the base of the one of the street lamps toward the south-end of the bridge?  I notice it in the mornings as I drive-in.   I kinda like it!  I'm not sure if those are going to go on every lamp or not?   Don't know how one would take a picture of it since traffic is moving so fast there.  Anyone else care to describe it better than I?

[BKDotCom]

We can check it out later this week when it opens
http://www.newson6.com/story/20375549/tulsas-newest-bridge-over-arkansas-river-set-to-open

Best quote form the article:
"Once the new bridge opens, ODOT says traffic will shift onto it and the old bridge will be demolished and rebuilt. "
I hope that should read "remaining old bridge".... "once funding is approved and all the bids are in"

Edit:  It beat the Boulder bridge....   How much longer before we can get to all that stuff?!

[DowntownDan]

I don't get it.  Is the new bridge intended to replace the old bridge both directions?  Or is it intended to be only one direction?  Is it saying that it will be both directions for the time being while the other bridge is rebuilt?  And now you're saying the other bridge is not funded yet?  I'm thoroughly confused.

Edit:  Found that Tulsa World is more informative

Westbound I-244 bridge to open before Christmas

By JARREL WADE World Staff Writer
Published: 12/18/2012  3:47 PM
Last Modified: 12/18/2012  3:47 PM

The westbound Interstate 244 bridge over the Arkansas River is planned to open before Christmas and possibly this week, an Oklahoma Department of Transportation spokesman said Tuesday.
Mark Zishka, an ODOT Tulsa-area construction engineer, said crews are hoping to get the new multimodal bridge open to traffic this week, although the full project is not scheduled to be finished for several months.
"This week possibly. We're seriously trying to finish by the holidays," Zishka said.
Once completed, the multimodal bridge will carry three lanes of vehicular traffic.
Below the lanes, the bridge will support two rail lines and a pedestrian bridge.
Zishka said traffic will be allowed onto the bridge and traffic will run normally for several months on separate bridges, aside from lane closures as crews finish work on the bridge.
In March, the eastbound bridge is scheduled to go out for bids to be replaced, Zishka said.
Construction on that bridge is planned to start several months later, and traffic will be diverted onto the new westbound bridge, he said.
The eastbound bridge will not be multimodal except for plans currently being worked on to either have a pedestrian walkway similar to the westbound bridge or possibly to have a viewing station, Zishka said.
Check back with tulsaworld.com for more information about when traffic begins to flow onto the new bridge.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20121218_11_0_Thewes216198

[BKDotCom]

I don't get it.  Is the new bridge intended to replace the old bridge both directions?  Or is it intended to be only one direction?  Is it saying that it will be both directions for the time being while the other bridge is rebuilt?  And now you're saying the other bridge is not funded yet?  I'm thoroughly confused.

Edit:  Found that Tulsa World is more informative

Ya... last I've heard for the East-bound bridge is that they're still working out the plans (at least for the pedestrian part).   The quote in the KOTV article is (at best) confusing.

[carltonplace]

The new West bound Bridge is set to open tonight and all of the detours will be eliminated. Westbound SH64/51 to US75 will reopen and there will be no need to use I-244 to get to US75. The east bound bridge is funded, but construction will be delayed a few months while the project is put out for bid. Once replacement starts all traffic accross the river at I244 (west bound and east bound) will be diverted to the new west bound bridge.

It will be nice to be able to get to Westbound US75 from Denver Ave again. Today, I either have to go around downtown on I244 or to Southwest BLVD and 21st St.

[Conan71]

The new West bound Bridge is set to open tonight and all of the detours will be eliminated. Westbound SH64/51 to US75 will reopen and there will be no need to use I-244 to get to US75. The east bound bridge is funded, but construction will be delayed a few months while the project is put out for bid. Once replacement starts all traffic accross the river at I244 (west bound and east bound) will be diverted to the new west bound bridge.

It will be nice to be able to get to Westbound US75 from Denver Ave again. Today, I either have to go around downtown on I244 or to Southwest BLVD and 21st St.

I'm tempted to go that way to work in the morning, but not sure what kind of confused asshattery will be going on where it splits left for 244 west and right for 244 east for those who haven't been down that way since the project started.

[BKDotCom]

I'm tempted to go that way to work in the morning, but not sure what kind of confused asshattery will be going on where it splits left for 244 west and right for 244 east for those who haven't been down that way since the project started.

Tomorrow will be interesting.
Quite a bit still unclear as to what ramps and interchanges are opening up over night.

[carltonplace]

Tomorrow will be interesting.
Quite a bit still unclear as to what ramps and interchanges are opening up over night.

Dust off the General Lee and have fun with it.

[bacjz00]

I'm tempted to go that way to work in the morning, but not sure what kind of confused asshattery will be going on where it splits left for 244 west and right for 244 east for those who haven't been down that way since the project started.

Conan, I'm having a hard time picturing where you're talking about.  Maybe I'm just a positive guy, but I think most will be able to handle this opening just fine. I klnow I am looking forward to having our soutbound access to 75 back from downtown (from 7th street).  This has been a MAJOR inconvenience and has generally added 10 minutes of drive time home for me for the past 1-2 years.

[BKDotCom]

Conan, I'm having a hard time picturing where you're talking about.  Maybe I'm just a positive guy, but I think most will be able to handle this opening just fine. I klnow I am looking forward to having our soutbound access to 75 back from downtown (from 7th street).  This has been a MAJOR inconvenience and has generally added 10 minutes of drive time home for me for the past 1-2 years.

Oddly enough I found taking Detroit to get out of downtown to be just as fast (if not faster) than taking 7th street.    Sure seems like it should take longer.
Now that all this detour stuff is over I'll share "my" little secret to the Detroit/Cincinnati on-ramps:  If there's a line of cars a mile long on Detroit : go around them / go around the block / get on from Cincinnati!  Ya boneheads!  There are "two checkouts" so to speak... nobody is using the Cincinnati checkout.

[bacjz00]

Oddly enough I found taking Detroit to get out of downtown to be just as fast (if not faster) than taking 7th street.    Sure seems like it should take longer.
Now that all this detour stuff is over I'll share "my" little secret to the Detroit/Cincinnati on-ramps:  If there's a line of cars a mile long on Detroit : go around them / go around the block / get on from Cincinnati!  Ya boneheads!  There are "two checkouts" so to speak... nobody is using the Cincinnati checkout.

I suppose that depends entirely on which end of downtown you work  

But yeah, that makes sense. I've been using Detroit quite a bit and it moves ok.  Still adds close to 10 minutes for me by the time I make it up there, wait in line, move in slow merging traffic all the way around the IDL and then cram into those really skinny lanes in the detour sectino of the IDL where traffic moves along at a brisk 45 MPH.

This bridge opening is awesome.  Plus we can use our new rehabbed IDL on the west side again!! We only got to use it for what 2 weeks?

[Conan71]

Conan, I'm having a hard time picturing where you're talking about.  Maybe I'm just a positive guy, but I think most will be able to handle this opening just fine. I klnow I am looking forward to having our soutbound access to 75 back from downtown (from 7th street).  This has been a MAJOR inconvenience and has generally added 10 minutes of drive time home for me for the past 1-2 years.

The split just past Houston.  In Tulsa, driving appears to be a passive or secondary activity for most drivers.  Texting, putting on make up, reading the Tulsa World or just tuning their chainsaw seems to be the primary activity behind the wheel.

[carltonplace]

It was nice of the wind to take down all of the road work and detour signs for ODOT.

[rdj]

There was some uncertainty with drivers this morning but not too bad.  The bridge seemed nice and smooth this morning as I drove across it.