Okla. Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Bond Validation For ACCESS Turnpike Projects

The ACCESS Oklahoma turnpike projects will move forward after the state Supreme Court ruled in favor of their bond validation.

The plan, first announced in 2021, would include widening the Turner, Will Rogers and John Kilpatrick turnpikes as well as adding and enhancing access points on existing turnpikes.

The ruling lets the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority reapply for approval from the Council Bond Oversight to issue up to $500 million in bonds and begin the process of selling bonds to fund the planning and construction on the metro highways.

Read the full ruling can be read below:

Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation Tim Gatz released the following statement:

“This bond validation creates certainty for OTA, its bondholders and citizens who now know without doubt that these final three legs of the Oklahoma City Outer Loop meet the legislative intent to provide reliever routes through the metro area and fight increasing traffic congestion. This allows one of the most ambitious state transportation plans in Oklahoma history to move forward. It will increase safety and travel reliability, provide new connections to communities and improve traffic flow by integrating with the state highway system.”