I-40 Update
I’m back at my old stomping grounds – City Hall – awaiting to hear presentation of the Bricktown parking study.
ODOT engineer John Bowman is at the podium right now giving an update on the relocation of the Interstate 40 Crosstown Expressway. He says the project is on track for completion in 2012. He also warned significant traffic disruptions are about to begin with closures along Western Avenue and Agnew Avenue. He said the worst of it will hit in about a year.
Sounds like almost all of the construction phases are either underway or very close to starting.
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Comments
I wonder how these “significant disruptions” will affect downtown traffic flow and tourism. From what I understand on I-40 Crosstown westbound, the Robinson exit will be closing very soon, so the only other exit westbound is “Classen Blvd”, which is really Western as well. With all this traffic headed to Western, it presents several problems. One with the Western Exit being closed per Steve’s comment’s above. How will this be affected? And two, Western Ave and Reno/Sheridan is a complete eyesore and always has been. Is this the impression we want people to have as the entrance to our downtown for the next couple of years? Perhaps the city could be proactive for once instead of reactive and beautify this area so many downtown visitors will be frequenting over the next two years?
Look. Any Entrance into downtown is rough looking. Even from East Reno, to Bricktown. Broadway is probably the only nice entrance I can think. All of the smaller arterial streets are fine, but they aren’t main entrances to Downtown.
Western is fine. I think it’ll be okay, I mean the whole point of this new highway is to invigorate the renewal of the rough, surrounding neighborhoods. Lets not get ahead of ourselves.
I do agree that it can be landscaped or something. I have an irk with the city, you go to the north side and you see these beautiful boulevards with trees lined in the middle with beautiful landscaping, i.e. Classen, NW 23rd, The Northwest Expressway.
Tell me why the southside has nothing even remotely compared to this? Shields, a major commuter route, is one of the ugliest streets in this city. The median landscaping is a joke, ugly, overgrown trees, no landscaping, dead grass, a horrible street surface. Its surrounded by motels, and at least 20 mobile home dealers, bars, and stripper joints. The city needs to take care of beautification once they begin it. Take our highways. Usually there is landscaping along some highways, but they ALWAYS seem overgrown and just not attractive at all. I do NOT understand why we cannot even maintain the growth of plants!
Sorry, I am way off topic. :/ Haha
Hopefully the results are, “there is too much”.