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[CoreySamson]

I might be visiting Oklahoma relatively soon, and I had a couple questions about OK's turnpikes. Here goes:

1. Are Oklahoma's turnpikes compatible with EZTag (not EZPass, I'm talking about the Houston-based system)? And if not, is it compatible with TxTag?

2. Do all the turnpikes support electronic tolling, or are there sections that require cash only? I'm most curious about the Indian Nation Turnpike, the Creek Turnpike, and the Cherokee Turnpike.

Apologies if these questions were answered in another thread.

[okroads]

1. Yes, EZ Tag can be used in Oklahoma.
2. All Oklahoma turnpikes support electronic tolling. OTA is in the process of converting to "plate pay" (in other words, electronic tolling only) on all turnpikes within the next few years. Currently, only the Kilpatrick in OKC is electronic tolling only.

[Bobby5280]

I can't wait for them to convert the H.E. Bailey Turnpike between Lawton and Wichita Falls to AET. That means OTA will finally have to do something about the ratty old toll booth at the Walters Exit. They really need to do a complete re-build of that interchange. The bridge over the toll booth is falling apart. The ramps are also in bad shape and in a very outdated design. It will be nice to breeze through there going 75mph someday. I'm tired of having to slow down to 25mph or even slower going through the PikePass lane.

[Great Lakes Roads]

I can't wait for them to convert the H.E. Bailey Turnpike between Lawton and Wichita Falls to AET. That means OTA will finally have to do something about the ratty old toll booth at the Walters Exit. They really need to do a complete re-build of that interchange. The bridge over the toll booth is falling apart. The ramps are also in bad shape and in a very outdated design. It will be nice to breeze through there going 75mph someday. I'm tired of having to slow down to 25mph or even slower going through the PikePass lane.

I bet that they are doing all of these AET upgrades to hopefully support the speed limit of 80 mph, especially on the older turnpikes.

[Bobby5280]

On at least some of these older turnpikes in order to bump speeds up to 80mph OTA will have to do a lot of roadway replacement with new concrete slab. The stretch of I-44 going South of Lawton is a pretty rough affair. You feel every seam joint between the concrete slabs.

[Plutonic Panda]

That means OTA will finally have to do something about the ratty old toll booth at the Walters Exit. They really need to do a complete re-build of that interchange. The bridge over the toll booth is falling apart. The ramps are also in bad shape and in a very outdated design. It will be nice to breeze through there going 75mph someday. I'm tired of having to slow down to 25mph or even slower going through the PikePass lane.

Looks like they will start on an 8 million project here of some sorts.

I bet ODOT will need to inject some funds of their own. Haven’t looked so not sure if it’s on the 8 yr plan.

[Bobby5280]

With regard to the Walters Exit on I-44; ODOT does have $1.3 million planned for bridge rehab in cooperation with OTA. ODOT is providing FY 2022 funds only. It is technically an OTA project. Really the whole exit needs to be completely re-done. Just Southeast of Tulsa on the Muskogee Turnpike the exit with OK-51 used to be very similar to the Walters exit on I-44. The ramps were a sharp, hour-glass shape cloverleaf design. OTA re-built that interchange almost 20 years ago with an updated design. The same design needs to be applied to the Walters I-44 exit, sans the manned toll booths.

[SkyPesos]

The Will Rogers turnpike tolling system seems confusing to me. I only realized this when looking up Dallas to St. Louis routings and finding the US 75/69/I-44 routing. From the Wikipedia page:

If one is entering in the direction away from the main toll plaza, the toll for the portion between the interchange and the terminus is collected at the ramp plaza; a refund receipt is still issued should the motorist exit at another interchange. Motorists entering in the direction toward the toll plaza are issued a ticket at the interchange which shows proof of entry. This ticket is then presented to the toll collector at the main toll plaza (or the desired exit, if before the main plaza), and the fare for the untraveled portion of the turnpike is deducted from their toll.

So the US 69 ramps at Big Cabin are only 3 miles west of the main toll plaza for I-44. If I'm understanding this correctly, if going from US 69 NB to I-44 EB (like in the Dallas to St Louis routing I mentioned earlier), you'll get a ticket at the ramp toll booth and pay about half of the full toll at the main booth 3 miles later. Do you have to tell the toll collector whether you're going onto EB or WB I-44, so they know whether to collect the cash from you, or give you a ticket? If so, isn't it pretty easy to toll evade under this system, by saying that you want to go EB, but actually go WB on the entire length of Will Rogers and never meet up with another toll both?

[rte66man]

The Will Rogers turnpike tolling system seems confusing to me. I only realized this when looking up Dallas to St. Louis routings and finding the US 75/69/I-44 routing. From the Wikipedia page:

If one is entering in the direction away from the main toll plaza, the toll for the portion between the interchange and the terminus is collected at the ramp plaza; a refund receipt is still issued should the motorist exit at another interchange. Motorists entering in the direction toward the toll plaza are issued a ticket at the interchange which shows proof of entry. This ticket is then presented to the toll collector at the main toll plaza (or the desired exit, if before the main plaza), and the fare for the untraveled portion of the turnpike is deducted from their toll.

So the US 69 ramps at Big Cabin are only 3 miles west of the main toll plaza for I-44. If I'm understanding this correctly, if going from US 69 NB to I-44 EB (like in the Dallas to St Louis routing I mentioned earlier), you'll get a ticket at the ramp toll booth and pay about half of the full toll at the main booth 3 miles later. Do you have to tell the toll collector whether you're going onto EB or WB I-44, so they know whether to collect the cash from you, or give you a ticket? If so, isn't it pretty easy to toll evade under this system, by saying that you want to go EB, but actually go WB on the entire length of Will Rogers and never meet up with another toll both?

You'll get caught by one of the gantry readers and get a bill in the mail.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Looking at the OTA's Cimarron Turnpike Overhead Sign Structure Gantries project plans that will take place sometime within the next year, there are going to be 7 new toll gantries along the highway, and they will be placed as followed from west to east:

West of US 177 interchange near MP 14
East of US 177 interchange near MP 15
WB offramp at US 64 interchange near MP 22
EB onramp at US 64 interchange near MP 22
Cimarron Turnpike Spur near MP 21A
West of SH 99 interchange near MP 48
East of SH 99 interchange near MP 49