I-40 Troubles:
The original I-40 Crosstown Expressway was built in 1965, constructed to carry 75,000 vehicles per day. By 2008, though, over 100,000 vehicles were traveling on the roadway each day and the city was spending over a million dollars a year on emergency repairs.
The New I-40 Construction:
Therefore, in May of 2002 the federal funding was approved for construction on the largest transportation project in state history. The new I-40 Crosstown Expressway will debut in 2012, with construction costs estimated at $557 million. It will be ground level and semi-depressed, built to handle as many as 173,000 vehicles per day and have 10 lanes.
Location:
The new I-40 Crosstown Expressway will be 5 blocks south of the old I-40, covering 4 and a half miles between May Avenue and I-235. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has a PDF map online showing the new I-40's location.
Other New Additions:
In addition to the 10-lane Expressway construction, the new I-40 plan includes a 6-lane downtown boulevard with sound walls, a pedestrian bridge and a park.
Demolition of Old I-40:
As of now, funding to tear down the old stretch of the I-40 Crosstown has not been appropriated. In addition, funds are not yet available to build the downtown boulevard.
