Oklahoma City Crosstown Boulevard

Construction of Oklahoma City Crosstown Boulevard in Oklahoma City was completed in 2019. The project was the final phase of the I-40 Crosstown Relocation Project – one of Oklahoma’s largest roadway projects since the interstate system was initially built. The road was designed to be pedestrian and bicycle friendly, and helps connect the city to the three major interstates that intersect along the northern bank of the Oklahoma River.

In one area along the route, Oklahoma City Boulevard is elevated and spans South Classen Boulevard. The approaches to the bridge use the TechWall™ retaining wall system to provide the grade separation. The four retaining walls are up to 480 feet long and as tall as 32 feet.

TechWall™ is a precast counterfort retaining wall system. It consists of 8-foot wide full-height facing panels. Each panel has two counterforts on the back face. The panels are set in the formwork for a cast-in-place footing. Once the footing is poured and cured, the retaining wall panels are locked in place and backfilling can occur.

On this project, a total of 206 facing panels were required. Precast coping units were also placed along the top of the wall.

The nearby Little Flower Church was the inspiration for the architect’s choice of the wall’s aesthetic design. The painted finish and other design elements were incorporated to resemble the church’s brick facing built in the 1920’s.