Oklahoma City Crosstown Expressway motorists advised to remain alert

Motorists shouldn't get too used to the changes. The new exit and lane configurations are expected to remain in place through mid-September. And then they'll change again.

“I don't have specifics of exactly how,” Perry said. “There's a ton of bridgework going on in that interchange and is what is producing these different configurations.”

Conditions are going to change continually as various paving and other construction work is under way on the new Crosstown Expressway.

Work started on the project in 2005.

“Overall we are at the phase of construction now that lane closures are affecting drivers more and more,” Perry said.

“For years we've built a lot of this without affecting them.”

Other areas affected on the Crosstown because of construction work include:

Westbound lanes of I-40 at the I-35/I-235 interchange will be reduced to one lane overnight Wednesday and Thursday as road crews install beams.

The northbound I-35 off-ramp to westbound I-40 is open. Crews have closed the dedicated exit lane for construction, but the ramp is open to drivers.

Robinson Ave. is closed between SW 7 and SW 11 until fall 2011. Detour is Walker Avenue.

Eastbound I-40 is narrowed slightly between Portland Avenue and I-44 until 2012.

It's expected motorists will be able to drive on the new 10-lane Crosstown Expressway in late April. The new roadway is about five blocks south of the existing Crosstown, which now skirts downtown Oklahoma City.

Even when the paving work is finished and motorists are driving on the new roadway, construction on the $670 million project will continue for another year or so.