ACCESS Oklahoma

[74/171FAN]

New interchange for the E-W Connector at I-44.

Fixed link.

[Great Lakes Roads]

The OTA has 4 3 projects from the ACCESS Oklahoma program to be let on January 22, 2026.

1. Turner Turnpike- Bridge replacement at MP 136 (Deep Fork Creek)
2. JKT- New EB entrance ramp at Council Road
3. JKT- Widening - WB Frontage Road from Rockwell Avenue to Council Road
4. INT- New south-facing ramps at Ragan Road, Near Indianola (Exit 82)

[plain]

4. INT- New south-facing ramps at Ragan Road, Near Indianola (Exit 82)

Are they going to place tolls on these ramps?

[Great Lakes Roads]

4. INT- New south-facing ramps at Ragan Road, Near Indianola (Exit 82)

Are they going to place tolls on these ramps?

Yes, they are going to place tolls on the south-facing ramps.

[bugo]

4. INT- New south-facing ramps at Ragan Road, Near Indianola (Exit 82)

Are they going to place tolls on these ramps?

Oklahoma is in the process (they might actually be finished with it by now) of converting all of their turnpikes over to electronic tolling, so there won't be any tollbooths on the ramps, just the equipment for Pikepass and Platepay. Switching to open road tolling is why they are able to build these ramps. The OTA didn't want to pay for tollbooths for these ramps, so they didn't build them. The ORT equipment is likely far less expensive than a tollbooth, which made finishing the interchange financially feasible. ORT has made it possible to build an interchange anywhere on the turnpike system, and I expect for more interchanges to by built in the coming years.

[CoreySamson]

(they might actually be finished with it by now)

I think they are done! The Will Rogers Turnpike is now AET-only, and I think that was the last one to be converted.

[Plutonic Panda]

Well, now they just need to tear down the old plazas. They look ugly.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Awarded contracts from the November 20, 2025 letting-

1. JKT-30702A - Grade, Drain, Bridge & Surface (MP 116.84 to MP 120.48)
Duit Const. Co. Inc.
$23,025,230.85
CONST   
John Kilpatrick Turnpike 
ACCESS Bond Program 

2. EWC-28103B - Drain and Backfill Pond West of 48th Ave NW
Sherwood Const. Co., Inc
$3,138,199.23
CONST   
East-West Connector Turnpike 
ACCESS Bond Program 

3. EWC-28502A - Bridge & Approaches Over the Canadian River floodplain AND EWC-28802A - Grade, Drain, Bridge & Surface From the Canadian River Bridge Extending east to approx. 0.2 miles East of Pennsylvania 
Crossland Const. Co., Inc.
$96,936,614.88
CONST
East-West Connector Turnpike 
ACCESS Bond Program

[bugo]

$97M contract awarded for state's longest bridge

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority said construction on the state's longest bridge will begin early next year. This is part of the controversial "Access Oklahoma Plan" that will eventually connect I-44 and I-35.

The state's longest bridge will span 1.25 miles, going over the Canadian River.

"At least for a little while, this will be the longest bridge in the state," said Joe Echelle, Exec. Dir. of OTA.

The project is picking up speed after the bridge contract got approval on Tuesday.

It's part of the Access Oklahoma plan, which is a 15-year project expanding toll roads across Oklahoma. The project will cost more than $8 billion.

"The people of Norman do not want the turnpikes," said Dave Moore, part of Pike Off OTA, a group that opposes the expansion.

The south extension of the plan, near Norman, has been the most controversial section. Dozens of homes in the path of the roads will likely be destroyed.

"It is an emotional rollercoaster," a protester said.

However, this bridge will be part of the east-west connector. Construction is set to begin early next year.

"The project's located near the city of Newcastle and Oklahoma City in McClain County and Cleveland County," said Darian Butler, the Director of Engineering for OTA.

The bridge will run between Portland and Pennsylvania, crossing the Canadian River in McClain and Cleveland Counties.

"This design was to minimize impacts on the Canadian river, to protect the water quality, and the habitat of threatened species," said Echelle.

The bridge will cost nearly $97 million.

"That is about 30.23% below the engineer's estimate," said Butler.

[Bobby5280]

I'm surprised they're moving this quick on the Canadian River bridge portion of the East-West Connector turnpike. But it's probably a good idea to get it built sooner than later since construction cost inflation isn't stopping. This local news story piece has some imagery of the bridge.
https://www.koco.com/article/oklahomas-longest-bridge-to-span-south-canadian-river/69701537

The news story states the bridge will be completed and open to traffic by late 2027. I wonder how many other phases of the East-West Connector turnpike will be under construction by then. It would be interesting to know when OTA plans to buy out and clear all the metal buildings near the I-44/OK-37 interchange. The proposed DDI with I-44 and OK-37 will be in that spot, as well as the Y interchange between I-44 and the East-West Connector turnpike.

[rte66man]

According to Access Oklahoma, the next stage is this one:

East-West Connector
McClain County
Grade, Drain, Bridge & Surface: East-West Connector Turnpike from east of I-44 to Canadian River Bridge, including Service Roads, 24th Street Widening and Bridge, and TPO over Portland Ave.

It is scheduled to go out to bid in May 2026.

[rte66man]

I missed this one:

East-West Connector
McClain County
East-West Connector Turnpike interchange at I-44/SH-37 Interchange, including Grade,
Drain, Bridge & Surface: I-44 from MM 106.50 to MM 108.50

Scheduled for April 2027

[Scott5114]

I'm surprised they're moving this quick on the Canadian River bridge portion of the East-West Connector turnpike.

I'm not. I spent several years living in Norman and working in Newcastle. The commute is not that bad but only having two bridges along that section makes the routing kind of circuitous. When there's an incident on the I-35 bridge over the river you have to go pretty far out of the way by going up to Moore so you can go across to I-44. Having another bridge there will help matters immensely for people who have to commute between those two cities.

[jb_va23]

I'm surprised they're moving this quick on the Canadian River bridge portion of the East-West Connector turnpike.

I'm not. I spent several years living in Norman and working in Newcastle. The commute is not that bad but only having two bridges along that section makes the routing kind of circuitous. When there's an incident on the I-35 bridge over the river you have to go pretty far out of the way by going up to Moore so you can go across to I-44. Having another bridge there will help matters immensely for people who have to commute between those two cities.

Agreed, I spent about two years doing the opposite, living in Newcastle and commuting to Norman. The commute is not terrible but if something happened on SH-9 or I-35, it really causes a traffic mess.

[Great Lakes Roads]

The OTA has 1 project from the ACCESS Oklahoma program to be let on February 19, 2026.

INT- New south-facing ramps at Ragan Road, Near Indianola (Exit 82)

[Bobby5280]

I went to Oklahoma City yesterday with some friends. As we approached the OK-36 exit for Newcastle I was surprised to see demolition had already started on the big metal buildings just East of the freeway exit. The La Luna Cantina & Grill restaurant is completely gone. Bare earth is visible where the building and parking lot used to be. Other buildings are in the process of being torn down. A handful of buildings along the East end of NE 31st Street might escape demolition.

Google Earth overhead imagery from 10/5/2025 shows all the buildings still intact, including the La Luna restaurant. It looks like the demolition work started maybe a few weeks ago.

Anyway, it looks like the OTA is not piddling around with getting started on the East-West Connector Turnpike. The ACCESS Oklahoma web site's project map shows most of the East-West Connector projects between I-44 and I-35 getting started in 2026. The 5-level directional stack interchange with I-35 isn't slated to start until 2027.

The bridges across the Canadian River are supposed to be the first project to go under construction. I think the project to replace the existing Exit 108 on I-44 with a DDI will be the first phase of the complex interchange with the new turnpike. The main lanes of the East-West connector will lead directly to the DDI and OK-37. The various flyover ramps and braided ramps would be added over time.

I wonder if the bridge pier designs will either be very plain and blocky or copy the decorative theme seen on some other bridge piers in Oklahoma, such as the I-44/I-235/Broadway Extension interchange.

[Plutonic Panda]

I'm actually surprised the interchange at I-35 is starting so soon. I'm be curious to see if they emulated in the same way Texas does their stacks.

It's amazing how fast some states can build these projects like how fast all of this stuff is gonna get done from the OTA. Or the stuff in Arizona like the Broadway curve project or the S. Mountain Freeway project. Even in California in Orange County they can do the 405 improvement project in a pretty good amount of time. It's amazing how fast you can complete a construction project when you really want to.

[Bobby5280]

I'm actually surprised the interchange at I-35 is starting so soon. I'm be curious to see if they emulated in the same way Texas does their stacks.

Construction of the stack at I-35 isn't supposed to be let until 2027, so that part of the project doesn't seem all that soon. Then again, some of the stuff that is starting to happen wasn't supposed to happen until "Spring 2026." The ACCESS Oklahoma project map has the two bridges over the Canadian River now marked orange, as in now being under construction.

OTA may be in hurry-up mode to get ahead of any possible new legal hurdles/challenges -in the same manner as a football team hurrying to snap the football on the next play before the refs can challenge the previous play. I wouldn't be too surprised to see construction on the I-35 stack beginning sometime in 2026.

Functionally speaking, the 5-level stack at I-35 should be similar to various urban stack interchanges in Texas. The flyover ramps will be entirely on bridge structures. They can't build any of the ramps on earth berms, especially when intersecting frontage roads will be on the ground level.

The one thing I'm wondering about is the visual style of the bridge structures. Will the piers have a boring, plain-Jane blocky appearance? Or will they be more decorative like what ODOT has done with a few projects in the OKC area and elsewhere around the state? PDF plans for the interchanges in the East-West connector turnpike aren't yet available. So it may be anyone's guess. I'm hoping the I-35 stack won't be plain and ugly looking. The interchange will be an important visual for traffic entering the OKC metro from the South. It might be worth it for the interchange to look pretty cool. I'm a bit disappointed the I-44/I-235 interchange wasn't built as a stack, but the finished interchange still does look pretty nice due to the decorative work done to the bridge designs.

[SoonerCowboy]

Yes, I went to Chickasha on Monday and was excited to see that demolition in Newcastle. It's starting to feel like real progress now.

[Plutonic Panda]

It looks like the E. West Connector Turnpike might be called the Toby Keith Expressway. Wouldn't really be my first choice, but I wouldn't be against it either.

https://www.kswo.com/2026/01/09/oklahoma-legislator-files-bill-memorialize-toby-keith/?outputType=amp

[Bobby5280]

The article states the turnpike bridges over I-35 would be named after Toby Keith or possibly the interchange. I don't think that makes much sense. Superhighway system interchanges can get nicknames, such as the "High Five" in Dallas (I-635/US-75). Interchanges generally don't get named after people (or anything else really). The suggestion of naming the pair of bridges over the Canadian River the "Should've Been a Cowboy" bridges sounds a bit goofy.

I wouldn't mind seeing the whole East-West Connector Turnpike renamed as the Toby Keith Turnpike. That kind of has a ring to it. The name sounds better than East-West Connector Turnpike.

Toby Keith was born in Clinton, OK but spent most of his childhood, including his high school years, in Moore. Toby Keith is one of the most well-known people from Oklahoma. He did a good bit for the state and was also a big supporter of the military. Here in Lawton, Toby Keith played a number of free concerts at Fort Sill's Polo Field from the 1990's thru 2010's. Anyway, with Toby Keith having grown up in Moore it would be fitting if the new turnpike running between Moore and Norman was named after him.

[Plutonic Panda]

Yeah, I agree. The whole thing should be named man. If they're gonna do that I didn't know it was just the bridges. I was too lazy to read the article. I always figured it was just a placeholder name.

Like I wonder what they're gonna name that new tollway southwest of the airport.

[The Ghostbuster]

I hate country music (so does my mother), but I don't have a problem with the naming of the proposed turnpike. I would have thought they might name it after deceased former US Senator James Inhofe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Inhofe.

[Bobby5280]

I mostly listen to hard rock and alternative rock music. I don't listen to a lot of country music, but the stuff I do listen to is from 20-40 years ago. Toby Keith is in that group. I don't like any newer country music.

Toby Keith did a lot of community service work for youth and military veterans. One thing I liked about him is he didn't leave Oklahoma once he hit it big. A lot of country music performers move to Nashville. Not him. Toby Keith still lived near the OKC area.

I'm not such a fan of naming turnpikes after politicians, particularly ones that are arguably divisive and controversial (like Jim Inhofe). If the OTA or state government will name the Tri City Connector Turnpike after someone they could pick from a number of Oklahoma entertainers and sports stars. Those are people who tend to be more universally liked.

[Scott5114]

I have a problem with naming it after Toby Keith: he didn't tip.

I would prefer they just engineer in a lab the most ridiculous number known to mankind, slap a 3 on the front of it, and call it good. 367, maybe?