Crews Making Progress On Gilcrease Turnpike Expansion

A plan to expand Oklahoma’s turnpikes includes completing a northwest loop around downtown Tulsa, and repairing a bridge that’s drawn complaints since it was built. The plan to spend $5 billion over 15 years would widen to the two turnpikes that lead to Tulsa.

The construction on the first part of the Gilcrease Turnpike is just months from completion, but a second phase would extend it around downtown. On the Creek turnpike, the plans include rebuilding the interchange at Highway 51 leading to Coweta.

The Turner turnpike interchange at Bristow will be rebuilt, and a new exit and entrance at Heyburn will be added. The Will Rogers will be widened from Tulsa to Claremore, and the State Highway 28 exit near Adair will be improved.

The work on the Gilcrease will convert what's now a two lane road, into a full interstate as an alternative to I-44 through Tulsa.

The Turnpike Authority has already approved the list of projects and will pay for them with tolls generated all of the state’s turnpikes.