Oklahoma has its first four-level interchange, with the completion of a three-year, $105 million project to widen I-235.
The project began in 2018 to widen I-235/U.S. 77 to six lanes, eight in some places, at I-44 at Oklahoma City.
The I-44 interchange was reconstructed with two new flyover ramps to move traffic from northbound I-235 to westbound I-44 and from eastbound I-44 to northbound I-235/U.S. 77.
The flyover ramps eliminated two cloverleaf ramps. The two other cloverleaf ramps were widened and reconstructed.
The I-235 corridor’s reconstruction has occurred in phases over the past 11 years at a total cost of about $365 million. Another $16 million worth of work is planned for 2023 to reconstruct the I-44 to U.S. 77 ramp and provide a direct connection to North Lincoln Boulevard.
“ODOT has invested nearly $400 million in the I-235 and US-77/Broadway Extension corridor to meet traffic demand across the growing Oklahoma City metro area and to significantly improve safety,” Secretary of Transportation Tim Gatz said. “This herculean feat could not have happened without significant partnerships.” He mentioned support from the state Legislature, Gov. Kevin Stitt, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, contractors and patient drivers.
Allen Contracting of Oklahoma City won the contract, which at the time was the largest single dollar amount in ODOT history.
Along with the four-level interchange, the project is designed to reduce flood impact. The installation of 45-foot-tall, 558-foot-long railroad truss bridge over I-235 in 2018 for the project was also a first for Oklahoma.
The two spans of the 4-million-pound steel bridge were transported down the highway into place, one day for each span. The spans were first built off-site, which enabled ODOT to reduce the number of road closures during I-235 construction.
Check out this time-lapse video of the state’s historic bridge move:
