Oklahoma Turnpike Authority

[GoGators]

I personally don't really care about whether these toll roads get built or not, but I am surprised at the amount of backlash this proposal is getting from people on the southeast side of the metro. I assumed the reaction would be the exact opposite. It may also just be a vocal minority who are making a bunch of noise right now.

[shavethewhales]

^We absolutely do need another N/S corridor between Norman and OKC, but I'm a little dubious that the Kickapoo extension will help that since it goes out to the NE. We also need better mass transit options between OKC and Norman. Would love to see a commuter train/rapid busses.

[Plutonic Panda]

Why the motherf@ck is commuter rail not being as part of this?

[GaryOKC6]

The state probably won't be involved in commuter rail since it only touches 6 municipalities and is a local project. The municipalities will have to pay for it. It cant be done through MAPS either.

[Plutonic Panda]

^^^ true. I just wish we could speed that option up. Either way this corridor will be a huge boon to the area and I know I’ll definitely be using it. I’ve looked at buying property here before this was proposed I don’t think I’ll be able to afford it now.

[GaryOKC6]

^^^ true. I just wish we could speed that option up. Either way this corridor will be a huge boon to the area and I know I’ll definitely be using it. I’ve looked at buying property here before this was proposed I don’t think I’ll be able to afford it now.

Me too. It will sure beat sitting in rush our traffic that's for sure.

[MagzOK]

There's a small section in this ACOG Encompass 2040 planning report that talks about regional transit.

http://www.acogok.org/wp-content/upl...0-BIG-BOOK.pdf

Gary is correct. If you look at the DART in the DFW area, it is a transit authority created in the 1990s and funded with a sales tax of its member cities. Good luck with a majority in our OKC metro area approving taxes for something like that. I think just the population alone, a one-cent sales tax wouldn't generate quite as much as the tax in the DFW area did when it started. I just don't think the area has that type of support, not yet anyway. Just look at Midwest City pulling out of our current study.

I thought this was an interesting article (it is a few years old, but shows interesting things about the system) about the DART in terms of suburban cities wanting to stop participating the transit. This is after it's well in place, and meanwhile here in OKC we are already losing cities in the study phases.

https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/...r-none-9588268

[Swake]

1/3 of it is already the Indian Nation Turnpike, it would be nice to see that extended north to connect to Tulsa using the existing 75 corridor with bypasses built around Henryetta and Okmulgee. The highway will already be built to turnpike standards through Tulsa County by 2030.

The southern leg would need to be a new turnpike that extends north from Durant to connect to the Indian Nation Turnpike near McAlester. It would involve upgrading the corridor to turnpike standards and building new bypasses at Atoka, Stringtown and Savanna.

There is no reason we have a limited access turnpike to Hugo but Tulsa isn't connected directly to Dallas, especially with the growth along the 75 corridor in Texas.

I've driven this many, many times. Like you said, the section of US-75 in Glenpool is already in the works. The only major crossing between Glenpool and Okmulgee is Preston, which is slated for a new interchange next year. Henryetta doesn't even really need a bypass, just a new exit and some reworking to the I-40 interchange.

The big pain in northern Oklahoma is Okmulgee, which needs a bypass anyway. There have to be something like 10 stop lights along US-75 in the town and traffic is awful. Filled with big trucks traveling between Dallas and Tulsa and then to points up I-44. It's not remotely safe.

In southern Oklahoma US-75 near Durant is already being upgraded, construction is going on now. North of Durant most of the highway already has service roads until you get close to Atoka.

The stretch that would be terribly expensive is the 40 miles from Atoka to McAlester. It should have been included as a turnpike in this plan. You can't really upgrade the highway here because while it is 4 lanes, much of it isn't divided and it goes through a bunch of small speed trap towns. It would be better to build a turnpike through this area, the Indian Nations Turnpike always should have followed this route anyway. I have never understood why the it goes to Hugo instead of Durant. It doesn't and never has made any sense. A turnpike here would save drivers 30-45 minutes and be far safer, especially for trucks speeding up and slowing down constantly.

[BG918]

The turnpike to Hugo was purely political. A Tulsa-Durant turnpike would shorten the drive from 4-4.5 hours to 3-3.5 hours and as you said be much safer. I personally never understood why they didn’t extend I-45 north to Tulsa.

[Swake]

All the original free interstates in Oklahoma were built to service Oklahoma City only. No non-turnpike interstate to Tulsa or Lawton. I-40 didn't go to Muskogee, I-35 wasn't routed through Enid or Stillwater. All of Oklahoma's other largest cities at the time completely ignored.

[rte66man]

1/3 of it is already the Indian Nation Turnpike, it would be nice to see that extended north to connect to Tulsa using the existing 75 corridor with bypasses built around Henryetta and Okmulgee. The highway will already be built to turnpike standards through Tulsa County by 2030.

The southern leg would need to be a new turnpike that extends north from Durant to connect to the Indian Nation Turnpike near McAlester. It would involve upgrading the corridor to turnpike standards and building new bypasses at Atoka, Stringtown and Savanna.

When the last large round of turnpike building was going on in the mid 1990's, there was a serious proposal to build a turnpike from the northern edge of Bryan County (where the current freeway ends) to McAlester. It was to run 1-2 miles east of US69. At that time, Gene Stipe and the Little Dixie crowd still had outsized influence with the Legislature and killed it before you could blink. Things have changed over the past 30 years. IMO it's time to make another run at building it.

[BG918]

When the last large round of turnpike building was going on in the mid 1990's, there was a serious proposal to build a turnpike from the northern edge of Bryan County (where the current freeway ends) to McAlester. It was to run 1-2 miles east of US69. At that time, Gene Stipe and the Little Dixie crowd still had outsized influence with the Legislature and killed it before you could blink. Things have changed over the past 30 years. IMO it's time to make another run at building it.

Pretty sure Gene Stipe had a lot to do with the Indian Nation Turnpike being built to Hugo. Agree it’s time to revive the Durant Turnpike and extend I-45 north to Tulsa. That would give NE OK a third interstate: I-44, future interstate for 412 to I-35/NW Arkansas and I-45 all the way to the Gulf Coast.

[Zuplar]

Looks like Norman city council is determined to fight this new turnpike. I sure hope they aren't successful. As a property owner in the area, I'm looking forward to the expansion. Will give me much quicker access to the land.

[FighttheGoodFight]

Looks like Norman city council is determined to fight this new turnpike. I sure hope they aren't successful. As a property owner in the area, I'm looking forward to the expansion. Will give me much quicker access to the land.

Quite a few people in Norman are not happy about it. Not really sure they can do much about it but Nextdoor and Facebook Norman groups are gathering pitchforks!

[Jersey Boss]

Quite a few people in Norman are not happy about it. Not really sure they can do much about it but Nextdoor and Facebook Norman groups are gathering pitchforks!

Would this turnpike contribute or take away the quality of life in Norman?
Many that I have spoken with feel the later.

[BoulderSooner]

Looks like Norman city council is determined to fight this new turnpike. I sure hope they aren't successful. As a property owner in the area, I'm looking forward to the expansion. Will give me much quicker access to the land.

they don't have much ability to stop it

[jedicurt]

Would this turnpike contribute or take away the quality of life in Norman?
Many that I have spoken with feel the later.

it would sure improve my quality of life.

[FighttheGoodFight]

Would this turnpike contribute or take away the quality of life in Norman?
Many that I have spoken with feel the later.

I feel like it is all about who you ask. For me personally it would great to be able to get to 44 faster without having to take 240. I drive all over the state for job sites so just a quicker route for me.

I think if you lived anywhere near it you might have a different view on it taking your home/land/noise etc.

[Jersey Boss]

I feel like it is all about who you ask. For me personally it would great to be able to get to 44 faster without having to take 240. I drive all over the state for job sites so just a quicker route for me.

I think if you lived anywhere near it you might have a different view on it taking your home/land/noise etc.

A significant number of people I socialize with use Thunderbird for mtn. biking, fishing, and hiking.
They are opposed and don't necessarily live in the proposed path.

[OkiePoke]

I don't see how this expansion will impact Thunderbird areas for mtn. biking... Is that a concern?

[David]

That's a super weird complaint once again, considering Highway 9 already exists going right by Thunderbird immediately to the south.

[Jersey Boss]

That's a super weird complaint once again, considering Highway 9 already exists going right by Thunderbird immediately to the south.

I guess the folks with that concern must be super weird along with the entire City Council. Who knew?

[David]

I guess the folks with that concern must be super weird along with the entire City Council. Who knew?

If that is their specific complaint, then yes. I'd hope that the Norman City Council has better reasoning than that.

[Swake]

I don't see how this expansion will impact Thunderbird areas for mtn. biking... Is that a concern?

No way. US-412 goes over Lake Keystone and travels for miles right between the two arms of the lake. US-69 crosses lake Eufaula in two places and runs down the entire length of the lake. Both highways are interstate quality limited access and are much closer to their lakes than this highway will be and neither hampers the use of the lakes at all.

[David]

No way. US-412 goes over Lake Keystone and travels for miles right between the two arms of the lake. US-69 crosses lake Eufaula in two places and runs down the entire length of the lake. Both highways are interstate quality limited access and are much closer to their lakes than this highway will be and neither hampers the use of the lakes at all.

I've been to Lake Hefner for jogging and other uses probably dozens of times if not over a hundred, Hefner Parkway being right next to it has never impacted my use of the lake other than convenient access for getting there.

Makes me wonder if improved access is the actual complaint here.