Oklahoma Supreme Court Considers Challenge To Turnpike Expansion Plan

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority formally asked the state high court Tuesday to authorize the first bond issuance related to ACCESS Oklahoma—a 15-year, $5 Billion plan that includes constructing three new turnpikes in Cleveland County  

Jered Davidson, an attorney for OTA, told a referee with the Oklahoma Supreme Court that “the authority's power to issue bonds to fund turnpike projects is well settled.”  

“The infrastructure, traffic, and safety needs of Oklahomans continue to evolve as new technologies are invented, population growth continues, and major metropolitan areas continue to expand,” he said.  

Pike Off OTA, a group of mainly Cleveland County residents opposed to the plan, protested the OTA’s request and asked the court to deny any bond issuance. The group, as well as a separate cohort of Cleveland County residents, have filed two separate lawsuits seeking to stop the agency from moving forward with the new turnpikes.  

Davidson argued the agency can proceed with studies, design, planning, and eventually construction of the new turnpikes because of state laws passed in 1987 and 1993.  

He said affirmation from the supreme court would “also prevent additional legal proceedings from being filed in district courts across the state,” that challenge the OTA’s authority.  

Rob Norman, an attorney for Pike Off OTA, protested the bond issuance, along with John Dorman, an attorney representing the city of Norman.  

Dorman protested specifically against the South Extension, a proposed route that would run through eastern Norman, West of Lake Thunderbird. He argued the legislature has not taken action “expressly authorizing construction.”  

“This is really a separation of powers issue,” Dorman said. “(The) OTA is trying to avoid the legislature, and more importantly, the 128 thousand citizens of the city of Norman.”  

Norman argued the state laws that the OTA cites for its authority are no longer applicable.  

The OTA is “trying to go and basically violate what the legislature enacted in 1988 because they’ve gotten away with it,” Norman said.