ACCESS Oklahoma

[Stephane Dumas]

Regarding the five-level directional stack at I-35 and the EWC, comments made in the video, particularly the term "ultimate configuration," has me more and more convinced the interchange will indeed be a volleyball for a considerable amount of time and the directional flyover ramps will be added later. Maybe many years later.

Another possibility, it'll be a volleyball with could include one or two directional flyover ramps who'll be built first and the remaining ramps will be built later when the funds will be available and/or when the traffic level warrant it.

[Great Lakes Roads]

From the March 3, 2026 OTA meeting:

1. IN-36601A - Interchange at Ragan Road Near MP 81.4
Built Right Const., LLC.
$5,383,498.10
CONST
Indian Nation Turnpike
ACCESS Bond Program

2. EWC-28103A - City of Moore Effluent lines
Sherwood Const. Co., Inc.
$22,923,370.80
CONST
East-West Connector Turnpike (Toby Keith Expressway)
ACCESS Bond Program

Also in the OTA meeting is this:
Proposed Designation For East-West Connector Turnpike

Submitted for consideration and approval of the Authority is a proposed naming designation for the East-West Connector Turnpike as reflected in the attached concurrent resolution of the Oklahoma State Legislature, HCR1019. The resolution acknowledges the extraordinary life and career of Toby Keith and recognizes him as an Oklahoma legend. To honor his contributions to the State of Oklahoma and memorialize the importance of the planned East-West Connector Turnpike for transportation safety, regional connectivity and intrastate commerce, the Legislature has proposed the turnpike corridor from Interstate 44 East to Interstate 35 near Indian Hills Road and continuing East and North to Interstate 40 be officially designated:

The "Toby Keith Expressway."

Staff has reviewed the above item and recommends approval.

[Bobby5280]

I kind of think "Toby Keith Turnpike" would have a better ring to it, but "Toby Keith Expressway" is probably just as good. Either way, I think it's fine for the new turnpike to be named after him. And the new name is going to be easier to say than "East West Connector Turnpike." Honestly, that sucks.

[bugo]

I wish they would name it after somebody better than Toby Keith. Wait until Garth dies and name it after him.

[Plutonic Panda]

Looks like Toby Keith did not even support this turnpike: https://kfor.com/news/oklahoma-legislature/norman-residents-upset-after-turnpike-named-for-toby-keith-who-opposed-project/

[Scott5114]

The "Toby Keith Expressway."

How do you like him now?

I wish they would name it after somebody better than Toby Keith. Wait until Garth dies and name it after him.

Garth already has a major street in Yukon named after him.

[bugo]

Oklahoma should name something after Cody Canada. He's the most talented artist to ever come out of Oklahoma.

[swake]

The "Master of Space and Time" Leon Russell and his buddy JJ Cale would both like a word. Not to mention Woody Guthrie and Elvin Bishop.

[kphoger]

Oklahoma should name something after Cody Canada.

The second-largest country in the world is named after him.  Isn't that enough?

[Bobby5280]

Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill are some other country music legends born in Oklahoma.
Actors/entertainers: Brad Pitt, Chuck Norris, Ron Howard, Olivia Munn, James Garner
Sports: Jim Thorpe, Mickey Mantle, Steve Owens.

I think it's funny the guy who created SpongeBob SquarePants (Stephen Hillenburg) was born here in Lawton.

Favorite Chuck Norris joke: Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.

[kphoger]

Chuck Norris

There would be a whole thread on here dedicated to highway-themed Chuck Norris jokes.

[I-55]

Chuck Norris

There would be a whole thread on here dedicated to highway-themed Chuck Norris jokes.

Chuck Norris drove to Tulsa and back yesterday. Today, he received a check from OTA.

[kphoger]

Why did Chuck Norris cross the road?
Because no road would ever dare to cross Chuck Norris.

[bugo]

The "Master of Space and Time" Leon Russell and his buddy JJ Cale would both like a word. Not to mention Woody Guthrie and Elvin Bishop.

Cody Canada and the Departed released an album called This is Indian Land in 2011. It consists of covers of songs written by Oklahoma songwriters, including JJ Cale, Leon Russell, Tom Skinner, Scott Evans, Randy Crouch and Mel McDaniel. It's a great record. The Departed effortlessly jumps from genre to genre without breaking a sweat. They make it look easy. Elements of country, rock, blues, alternative, folk and psychedelia are found in the 15 songs (16 on the iTunes version). The songs are diverse and varied and each one is in a different style. This album introduced me to several styles of music that I had never heard before. It is a testament to the rich musical heritage of Oklahoma.

This is a JJ Cale cover about how corrupt the police in Oklahoma are:

Here is a Leon Russell cover. I can really relate to the lyrics:

This is a Mel McDaniel cover that was a bonus track on the iTunes version of This is Indian Land.

This is country music, but is clearly nothing like the typical modern pop country singers like Morgan Wallen, Keith Urban or Carrie Underwood. This is real country music. I hated country until I was in my mid-20s, when I discovered (surprise!) Johnny Cash. I then discovered Merle Haggard and became a country music fan. If you hate country, perhaps you haven't heard the right country.

[Scott5114]

Oklahoma should name something after Cody Canada. He's the most talented artist to ever come out of Oklahoma.

They could do like what King County, WA did and rename Canadian County to be named after him.

[Great Lakes Roads]

E-W Connector --> Toby Keith Expressway: APPROVED

[Bobby5280]

So the new turnpike is going to be called the Toby Keith Expressway. Okay, sounds fine to me (I still think "Toby Keith Turnpike" has more of a ring to it).

Aside from the turnpike name, I just wonder what random Interstate designation they're going to pull out of their asses to pin on this road. "I-398" maybe? Obviously something like "I-435" or "I-844" would be more logical. But I guess we're supposed to not care about something that resembles a numbering system.

I laughed at the excuse they gave for "I-343": we needed an odd number since it's a North-South route. What!!?? First, The Muskogee Turnpike is a diagonal route. Second, the North-South/East-West Even/Odd numbering rules for Interstate highways technically only apply to parent-level Interstate routes with one or two digits. The rule does not apply to 3-digit spur and loop routes -because such a thing would be impossible to apply. Therefore, the "I-340" designation that was available could have been used on the Muskogee Turnpike with zero problem. I still think some jackass politician or executive involved in this thing was obsessed with the "I-343" number and just had to have it applied to that highway.

I won't be too surprised to see the same bullshit in Interstate route numbering applied to the Toby Keith Expressway. Some VIP asshole will have his favorite 3-digit combo in mind and need to have it used on this turnpike to satisfy his own vanity. I guess it's safe to say we won't see an "I-666." But anything else in play I suppose.

[Great Lakes Roads]

So the new turnpike is going to be called the Toby Keith Expressway. Okay, sounds fine to me (I still think "Toby Keith Turnpike" has more of a ring to it).

Aside from the turnpike name, I just wonder what random Interstate designation they're going to pull out of their asses to pin on this road. "I-398" maybe? Obviously something like "I-435" or "I-844" would be more logical. But I guess we're supposed to not care about something that resembles a numbering system.

I laughed at the excuse they gave for "I-343": we needed an odd number since it's a North-South route. What!!?? First, The Muskogee Turnpike is a diagonal route. Second, the North-South/East-West Even/Odd numbering rules for Interstate highways technically only apply to parent-level Interstate routes with one or two digits. The rule does not apply to 3-digit spur and loop routes -because such a thing would be impossible to apply. Therefore, the "I-340" designation that was available could have been used on the Muskogee Turnpike with zero problem. I still think some jackass politician or executive involved in this thing was obsessed with the "I-343" number and just had to have it applied to that highway.

I won't be too surprised to see the same bullshit in Interstate route numbering applied to the Toby Keith Expressway. Some VIP asshole will have his favorite 3-digit combo in mind and need to have it used on this turnpike to satisfy his own vanity. I guess it's safe to say we won't see an "I-666." But anything else in play I suppose.

Watch it be OK-337!

[Scott5114]

337 would actually make sense. So would it just being an extension of 37—doesn't it directly tie into it at its terminus?

[Rothman]

The more I think about it, the more I-343 makes sense for Oklahoma.  They can't figure out sign specs, so why would they grasp the Interstate Highway System numbering scheme...which most of us grasped at an early age...

So, unlike I-238, which at least had some logic behind it ("We're sick of x80s and it's really just an upgrade of CA 238 anyway"), I-343's rationale is, "We couldn't figure it out, unlike the other 49 states..."

[Bobby5280]

I'm not giving the people at the OTA or even AASHTO any cloud cover for the I-343 idiocy. North South route, and we need to pick an odd number? Why not "I-351?" That could have matched the existing state highway number of the Muskogee Turnpike -which would follow the example of I-238 (which itself really bends the rules badly). The I-343 designation is just random shit. I really do think they're offering up bullshit excuses to defend what smells like someone's vanity number Interstate designation. Some VIP insisted on that number because he liked it. That's all. None of the other excuses hold water.

And, yeah, "I-337" would sort of loosely make sense for the Toby Keith Expressway. But the highway may get some other strangely idiotic number to, again, indulge some asshole VIP's sense of vanity.

[kphoger]

It's an east-west route, so it needs to have an even number.  Maybe an eastern I-238.

[bugo]

They could do like what King County, WA did and rename Canadian County to be named after him.

There is/was a road in downtown Tulsa called Brady Street. It had that name for 100 years and nobody complained or cared. Then some do-gooder reopened old wounds by announcing that the person Brady was named after was a bad person. They decided to name it after a different man named Brady in the early 2010s, but that apparently wasn't good enough, so they gave it the worst name of any road in America, Reconciliation Way. What a bad name for a street. Tulsa is known for its awkward embrace of political correctness that manifests in strange ways. They should have just said it was named after Wayne Brady or the Brady Bunch and left it alone. There's also a theater on Brady Street called the Brady Theater, which was renamed to the oh-so generic Tulsa Theater a few years ago. Nothing is forever in Tulsa, not even the names.

[bugo]

I laughed at the excuse they gave for "I-343": we needed an odd number since it's a North-South route.

That's funny, because the Muskogee Turnpike is signed east-west.



But OK 165 is signed north-south.

[Bobby5280]

It's an east-west route, so it needs to have an even number.  Maybe an eastern I-238.

How about "I-444?" Force the douches in Tulsa to sign their invisible I-444 route or risk losing it (or having it down-graded to "OK-444").