For months we had been planning on doing a power poll of OKC’s worst intersections. But, for whatever reason (most likely the constant drug use) we just never got around to it.
We were going to post it today, but then it got late and we remembered that we always miss something obvious when we do these power polls. So instead we decided to just put our collective heads together and confer with a few Friends of The Lost Ogle and come up with some possibilities for the worst intersections in the area. No ranking, not a definitive list, and we want your input. Which ones do you avoid at all costs?
We have a few of our least favorites after the jump.
Penn & Memorial - Probably the strongest contender for #1, it was spoken of with disgust by nearly every person we’ve talked to regarding this list. It is under construction, so hopefully in a year it will no longer deserve a place in this post.
N. May & Britton - Our slippery and possibly not-completely-sane reader BabySealClubSammich brought this one to our attention describing “the sheer Beirut-sensation of N. May and Britton. It is as if every direction of the intersection has a speed-bump or a massive sink-hole.”
Expressway and Penn - Never a pleasant experience, but this one is probably tops for any seasonal rankings, as anyone who’s ever been here around Christmas time can attest. Tony nearly missed the tipoff for an OU basketball game this season because of this spot when a passenger in his car “just had to stop off and grab a gift real quick.” Tony told his shrink that the experience that followed was the closest he ever came to actually attempting suicide.
NW 63rd and Hefner Parkway - During rush hour. Clark Matthews says it’s the only place he’s ever seen a police officer directing traffic without an accident involved. Clark Matthews has obviously never read a comments of a Justice League of Oklahoma post (No, we don’t get this joke either. It just sounds like it should be funny, doesn’t it? Sorry. It’s late.).
Broadway Extension/I-44 junction - We’ve written about this one before. It’s apparently going to be fixed by 2016, so hopefully in 8 years we will still be alive to enjoy it.
This isn’t an Oklahoma City exclusive list. We also have…
33rd & Broadway (Edmond) - Tony estimates that in his short lifetime, he has spent nearly 6 years sitting at this intersection.
2nd & Broadway (Edmond) - Just down the road, this one deserves mention for the ridiculousness of having a major intersection in which one direction of traffic cannot turn left.
Boyd & Classen (Norman) - We asked two people for their worst Norman intersections. The both came back with the exact same two answers: Boyd & Classen and all of Lindsey Street. Apparently people of Norman do not understand the difference between an “intersection” and a “street.” But that is neither here nor there.
Robinson and I-35ish (Norman) - Take it away, Ogle reader Shampy McShamperson: “it’s like a series of three in a 20 yard distance. If you’ve ever been to a movie in Norman on a Friday or Saturday night, you know what I’m talking about … One lane is trying to get on the interstate, one trying to get to the theater, one trying to just go straight to 36th, one trying to get into that crappy shopping mall where the dollar theater is. Massive mess.”
I-40 & Morgan Road (Yukon? Mustang? West OKC?) - Patrick apparently still has nightmares about the truck stop here and the line of semis causing his traffic headaches.
Okay, that’s all from our end. What did we miss? What did we get right? It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to complain about traffic to people that actually want to hear your stories!
29th and S. Robinson
If only there had been, you know, a person that you knew was writing a blog entry about this very subject, you could have mentioned it.
Moore: SW 19th Between Broadway and Telephone Road. I know there are more than one official intersections in that patch, but there are also inlets to stores and fast food places. Driving through this area is actually scarier than looking at Jenni Carlson naked.
178th & Western:
2 forward lanes & a left turn land in EACH direction; no stop light.
So every time I pull up, there are (literally) 12 cars sitting there wondering who goes next.
Lately I haven’t even been slowing down when I approach this intersection; I just plow on through.
Penn and Memorial is easy, but you left out I-240 and I-44.
I know this isn’t an intersection, but it bugs me that there is a 25 mph speed limit going on Penn through Nichols Hills. While I understand the logic of treating the major throughway as a neighborhood street because it is lined with houses, that doesn’t seem to be an issue anywhere else. You can speed by on 63rd where lower income families (with their toddlers) have driveways going straight out onto the busy street, yet the old rich people in their multi-million dollar homes need reduced speed (in addition to their moats and drawbridges) to stay safe.
I know it’s a little east, but 1-40 and Choctaw Road. I swear there was a wreck there once a week, and always on the days that I was already late for class. Eastsiders know…
Also, any intersection in Edmond that doesn’t have a stop light installed. Like the person said above…12 cars sitting there wondering who goes next.
Midwest City: I-40 & Sooner!! I’ve sat at that light for over 9 minutes on many occasions. Now, when I know i have to pass through that intersection, I just go west to Sunnylane and kill myself.
63rd and Western is a major pain in the neck, will get worse as long as Chesapeake keeps adding new buildings
Expressway and Rockwell. The fastest left turn light on Rockwell going North/South to turn onto Expressway, maybe like 2 cars can go before it goes back to green from the arrow, then you have some jackelope who sits in the intersection till its red and turns, only to be broadsided by traffic.. Greatness
15th and Broadway, Edmond
15th and Bryant, Edmond
Danfoth and Kelly, Edmond
Really… anywhere in Edmond, as far as that goes. The whole town’s traffic blows.
I’m guessing that for sheer frustration level it’s hard to beat NW Expressway at Belle Isle; I’ve seen more red lights run there than any place else on earth, and that includes West L.A.
if we are going to count highway intersections, the east bound onramp to I-40 from Douglas (in MWC) has to be top 2 or 3. You swing around and merge with the offramp traffic (usually fighter pilots headed to Tinker) that is totally hidden, unless you can turn your head 270 degrees and look through a hill with your x-ray vision. THEN, you have to try to get onto I-40.
I-35 & I-240 remains a monkey f#!k. It’s worse for those exiting I-240 southbound to I-35. The lines back up to Penn Ave.
i hate the 35/robinson intersection(s)in norman with all of my (albeit not that impressive) being. i lived in the neighborhood just west of all that business and it ruined my life. or just made things harder. whichever. the point is, i wish norman didn’t strive to be south edmond.
p.s. boyd and classen is kids play compared to the west side. kids play.
I just want to say that I am honored to receive my first credit on TLO.
Blythe, while I agree with you that west side Norman holds a special place in the fiery depths of hell, it does not have to deal with sorority co-eds on cell phones who need to retake Drivers Education like Classen & Boyd.
Every intersection on Northwest Expressway deserves at least a nomination.
N.W. 10th and Portland, as it merges with I-44 in every direction, particularly going westbound on 10th. It is an engineering nightmare, likely done by an Aggie. Vehicles coming off I-44, needing to traverse three lanes, while everyone is turning left to go to OSU-OKC, especially during drive time during the fall and spring. Not for the uninitiated.
ok, shampy, you have a point, but still, i dunno. i now live one street over from the contested intersection and would take those sorostitutes any day over their expedition driving, chanel sunglasses wearing, sonic route 44 guzzling moms.
Blythe, touche man, touche. Bring me some enchiladas from Tarahumaras and we’ll call it even.
As an OKC native who has lived in the DC area and Austin, I can tell you that there is no traffic in OKC.
So can Berry Tramel
I’d vote for any intersection with stoplights when the power goes out. It’s like that sportscenter Y2K commercial, where every jerk decides that he’ll be Tina Turner in our new Thunderdome. It’s easy, just let the guy on the right go first.
I would like to thank ODOT for all the great work they do.. Thanks to them i have more time to text people on my cell phone, get a good long look at the hottie in the car next to me and look for outdated tags on the car thats sitting still in front of me at all the major highway intersections. really what other state has 3 lanes merge into one to merge onto another 3 lane major highway… stupid Fuc#$rs
I moved away from the OKC area over 20 years ago and I could have named at least half of these, including the complaint about the speed limit through Nichols Hills. It’s good to know some things never change…
I can’t believe no one in Norman mentioned Main Street and Interstate drive, where everyone is trying to get to Wal-Mart. Absolutley horrible.
I would like to second exiting I-240 southbound to I-35. This post has inspired me to find a new route home.
i think she’s right; the I-240 (Westbound) ramp onto I-35 (South) will end up winning this thing.
I can still remember the first time I tried it….”Why is everyone sitting on this bridge?..Do I have to get all the way over THERE?…I guess I’ll just stop in the middle of traffic..Is that Semi cresting the hill behind me going 90mph..Oh my god”
So….Big Gulps huh??…..
Dont forget NW 50th and Independence, 50th and LHP, 50th and Portland; Dang 50th just sucks in the afternoon, there is an accident about twice a week in between those three and they are always injury ones.
I just want to clarify that I prefaced my Lindsay Street answer with “even though it isn’t an intersection.”
It’s like people don’t understand that there are other streets that will take you to OU.
Yes to Okie Chris. The NW Expressway and Rockwell intersection is horrible. It almost makes me want to drive to the Taco Bueno that is near 63rd and May. And Portland and NW 150th is quite bad during drive times too.
Just about anywhere on 23rd St. but especially where you try to get on to 235…Plus, 23rd is so dang narrow! All of the plasma donators walking around, it’s scary…The area near Oklahoma City Univeristy is bad.
Imagine my dismay as I travel from the Boyd/Lindsay/Porter area in Norman, up I-135 through the 240 and I40 junctions, up to the 23rd street ramp to make my way toward OCU. And yes, the 23rd street culture is kinda scary a little bit/a lot.
I hate the people on May & Britton heading East that when the light changes, people in the left lane (dummies) try to squeeze in beside us drivers in the right lane going straigt!! That lane drops!! They know that and still try to either whip in behind me, or actually pass me! There’s grass and trees there people! I had one nut the other day try and squeeze by my big pick up truck - I just kept going. I was not going to let him in front, it was impossible. I was saying to myself, “you go and drive up on the grass and end up in the apartment parking lot idiot!”
Please try and get over in the right lane before the light changes. At rush hour it’s a mess. Be curtious to others. One guy from Texas actually made a car move over into a turn lane so his big truck could go on by.