I-40 & MORGAN ROAD SINGLE POINT URBAN INTERCHANGE                                                     City of Oklahoma City, ODOT

The old I-40 and Morgan Road partial cloverleaf interchange constructed in the mid 1960’s could not accommodate 21st Century traffic volumes. Located in a heavily industrialized area adjacent to residential neighborhoods, the interchange was plagued with continuous traffic gridlock from major travel plazas on each corner. The City of Oklahoma City selected Triad Design Group to work with ODOT to design a new interchange that would move traffic safely and efficiently. The design solution, based on Triad's Alternative Analysis Design Study, was Oklahoma's first Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI).

The SPUI is a viable design alternative for congested areas with high left-turning traffic. It improves traffic flow and safety by allowing high traffic volumes to traverse the area using a single set of traffic signals in the middle of the interchange bridge. The left-turning traffic path is a gentle arc which improves speed, ease of movement, and off-tracking for large trucks. To accommodate the significant semi-truck traffic at I-40 and Morgan Road, Triad uniquely designed all left-turns as dual left-turns for two trucks turning simultaneously in opposing directions.

The SPUI's increased roadway and bridge width and the four existing travel plazas presented design challenges. Seven privately owned utilities and large signs at three plazas had to be relocated; multiple borings were necessary under the highway along with the addition of two lanes of traffic. "Access Management" techniques were implemented on Morgan Road to reduce conflicts between trucks and cars. Triad’s detailed sequence of construction allowed all lanes to remain open during construction with only short-term lanes closures.  Aesthetic elements were added to the bridge along with concrete planters for native plantings, enhancing the intersection. The complex project opened ahead of schedule in 2012 and won 2013 Oklahoma ACEC Honors and National ACEC Engineering Excellence recognition. Contractor: Allen Contracting, Inc.