By John Dobberstein, Editor
The bumpy ride on the Creek Turnpike in western Broken Arrow and interchange improvements on the eastern end of the Creek will receive much-needed attention in a $5 billion, 15-year plan to upgrade the state’s turnpike system.
Gov. Kevin Stitt and Secretary of Transportation Tim Gatz unveiled the “ACCESS Oklahoma” infrastructure project Tuesday before the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s board of directors.
ACCESS Oklahoma, which stands for Advancing and Connecting Communities and Economies Safely Statewide, is designed to improve access to communities and help meet the state’s future infrastructure needs.
According to the plan, rehabilitation work would be done to the jarring stretch of the Creek Turnpike just east of S. Garnett Road that has annoyed drivers for many years. Further east, the Creek Turnpike’s interchange with State Highway 51 would be redesigned to improve safety and access for vehicles.
There are some other large projects on the docket as well:
• Widening the Turner Turnpike to 6 lanes between Bristow and Oklahoma City, which will create a 6-lane highway for the entirety of the turnpike between the Tulsa and Oklahoma City metro areas. The project cost is estimated at $1.1 billion for the widening the 60-mile stretch.
• Reconstruction and widening 12 miles of the Will Rogers Turnpike at a cost of $315 million between U.S. 412 and State Highway 20, including an interchange at State Highway 28.
• The construction of reliever routes around Oklahoma’s two largest metropolitan areas.
• Off- and on-ramps constructed on the existing turnpike system, improving traffic safety for additional rural Oklahoma communities.
The board hired Poe & Associates, an Oklahoma City-based engineering consultant, during the January 2022 board meeting to provide program management services for ACCESS Oklahoma’s long-range plan projects. ACCESS Oklahoma will be fully paid for with bonds and will not affect any part of the state budgeting process.
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