New I-244 Bridge

[Conan71]

You guys gotta learn how to read 'inflection' into text...

I have watched them do that a couple of times, so yeah, those things 'look' like they weigh about 40 lbs.  It is just more fun to use that big ole crane to do the job...excess!!  Isn't that what our society is all about??

This would be an even better idea for a rowing shell crane.....if not quite as artistic!

http://stardate.org/astro-guide/gallery/rube-goldberg-meets-mars

An eight weighs quite a bit more than that, but it can be sectioned out into multiple coffee table bases.  I almost bought one at a regatta in Austin a few years back.  Talk about a conversation piece!

[heironymouspasparagus]

An eight weighs quite a bit more than that, but it can be sectioned out into multiple coffee table bases.  I almost bought one at a regatta in Austin a few years back.  Talk about a conversation piece!

Couple that as coffee table, with the trunk of a 57 Chevy for couch!!  Add a small howitzer conversion as beer delivery system in the movie studio wing of the house...!!  This could get really cool!! 

[nathanm]

This would be an even better idea for a rowing shell crane.....if not quite as artistic!

http://stardate.org/astro-guide/gallery/rube-goldberg-meets-mars

I would watch rowing events..if they involved rockets.

[Conan71]

I would watch rowing events..if they involved rockets.

I had a hard time watching the dragon boats on the Oklahoma River without thinking of Ben Hur.

[Townsend]

I had a hard time watching the dragon boats on the Oklahoma River without thinking of Ben Hur.

Yeah-huh...

[rdj]

New bridge over Arkansas River will open September 10th.

[Conan71]

That sounds more like it.

[BKDotCom]

Very topical..  I used that route this morning and noticed that it looked very close.  Made a quickly forgotten mental note to check if the opening nigh

[saintnicster]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/i--bridge-will-open-to-traffic-next-monday/article_d62ec07b-0c77-511a-b729-998bc1e4eeed.html

I-244 bridge will open to traffic next Monday [Sept 15, 2014]

OKLAHOMA CITY — The new eastbound I-244 bridge over the Arkansas River will open to vehicular traffic next Monday, according to state transportation officials.

The new bridge has been under construction since the $41 million job was awarded in March 2013 to Manhattan Road and Bridge Co.

The project included the removal of the old bridge.

The contractor will continue to work on the trail systems underneath the bridges and an observation deck that overlooks Tulsa's Cyrus Avery Plaza and the historic 11th Street bridge.

The entire project is expected to be complete by spring 2015, which includes the reopening of westbound I-444 to both northbound and southbound U.S. 75, officials said.

A 10 a.m. ribbon cutting ceremony featuring local, state and federal dignitaries will precede the opening of the bridge.

In other business, the state Transportation Commission Monday approved a new eight-year construction work plan which includes about $6.3 billion for nearly 2,000 highway and bridge projects.

[saintnicster]

Updated Article.  I sure do love how the Tulsa World revises articles during a day, then calls them brand new.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/newshomepage1/i--bridge-over-arkansas-river-will-open-to-traffic/article_d62ec07b-0c77-511a-b729-998bc1e4eeed.html

OKLAHOMA CITY — The new eastbound Interstate 244 bridge over the Arkansas River will open to traffic Monday, according to state transportation officials.

The new bridge has been under construction since the $41 million job was awarded in March 2013 to Manhattan Road and Bridge Co. The project included the removal of the old bridge.

The contractor will continue to work on the trail systems underneath the bridges and an observation deck that overlooks Tulsa's Cyrus Avery Plaza and the historic 11th Street bridge.

The entire project is expected to be complete by spring 2015. It includes the reopening of westbound I-244 to U.S. 75 northbound and southbound, officials said.

A 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring local, state and federal dignitaries will precede the opening of the bridge next week.

In other business Monday, the state Transportation Commission approved a new, eight-year construction work plan that includes about $6.3 billion for nearly 2,000 highway and bridge projects.

About half of the construction plan involves bridge projects.

The agency in coming years will continue to be "laser focused" on reducing the number of structurally deficient bridges, Oklahoma Department of Transportation Executive Director Mike Patterson told the commission.

The state agency is still on track toward its goal of reducing the number of structurally deficient bridges to 1 percent of the total 6,800 bridges in the state by the end of the decade, Patterson said.

In 2014, the state expects to reduce the number of structurally deficient bridges from 468 to 400, Patterson said.

"Once we get our bridge problem to a manageable state, then we'll begin to take on the other components of the highway system that need to be brought in to a manageable state," Patterson said.

The eight-year construction work plan, which covers the time period from October 2014 through September 2022, includes seven new bridge rehabilitation projects in Tulsa County scheduled to begin in federal fiscal year 2022.

One of the Tulsa County bridge rehabilitation projects involves $13 million in work on several bridges at the southeast corner of the Inner Dispersal Loop near downtown.
Other new projects slated to begin in federal fiscal year 2022 include:
Widening and resurfacing Oklahoma 66 in Rogers County beginning about 4 miles southwest of the Craig County line and extending 4.3 miles to the northeast at an estimated cost of $10.9 million;
Widening and resurfacing U.S. 59 in Ottawa County from Oklahoma 125 northwest to Interstate 44 at a cost of about $16.5 million;
Widening and resurfacing Oklahoma 10 in Ottawa County from Oklahoma 137 east 5 miles to Oklahoma 10C at a cost of about $9.6 million;
Rehabilitating U.S. 412 bridges in Mayes County over the Grand River at a cost of about $11.2 million.

[carltonplace]

One of the Tulsa County bridge rehabilitation projects involves $13 million in work on several bridges at the southeast corner of the Inner Dispersal Loop near downtown.

The city street bridges: Boston Ave, Main St and Cheyenne Ave look terrible. I cringe every time I drive under them.

[SXSW]

Any word on when the bike trail under the bridge will open?  The article just says work is continuing.  I'm still wondering how this will connect to the existing trails.

[Conan71]

Any word on when the bike trail under the bridge will open?  The article just says work is continuing.  I'm still wondering how this will connect to the existing trails.

Spring is what they were saying on the news last night.

Take a look at the concrete work just to the south of the SW Blvd. bridge on both sides of the river.  I believe they are going underneath the SWB bridge to link up with the path under the new 244 bridge and to reconnect the Newblock trail on the east bank.

[Townsend]

Eastbound I-244 Bridge Opens to Traffic



http://publicradiotulsa.org/post/eastbound-i-244-bridge-opens-traffic

Local, state and federal officials celebrate the opening of the eastbound I-244 bridge over the Arkansas River.

"Boy, the truckers really want to see to get us open," Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation Gary Ridley said after being interrupted by a honking semitruck.

Ridley said the last three years and $78 million spent on the eastbound and westbound bridges were a necessary investment.

"If you evaluate a bridge from zero to 100 ... these two were a couple of the worst on the interstate system, and we were seriously thinking that we were going to have to load post these bridges if something hadn't been done," Ridley said.

Work on the eastbound bridge began in June 2013. Since then, all traffic has been on the westbound bridge. Oklahoma Transportation Commissioner Peter Regan said Tulsans have been very patient with the project the last three years.

"This project was — my wife told me not to say this, but real quickly — this project was like a kidney stone," Regan said. "You don't know what — you just got to wait it out, you got to mitigate it, you got to do what you can do, and the public's been so patient with us and we're very, very appreciative."

Some lane and ramp closures could remain for several weeks as the last of the sign work is completed and traffic is shifted.

The final part of the project is linking a pedestrian bridge to trails and a viewing deck. That's expected to be done in the spring.

[bacjz00]

So.......the new bridge is "technically" open.   But it's still the same 2 lanes in all directions.   Any idea when we get our actual highway back?   Saw them moving around more barriers tonight on the way out of downtown, but it's basically gridlock during peak times.  #freethethirdlane