The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority voted to seek another $1.5 billion in borrowing for its ACCESS Oklahoma expansion program and authorized potential eminent domain proceedings as construction and land acquisition efforts continue.
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority voted Tuesday to pursue another $1.5 billion in borrowing for its ACCESS Oklahoma expansion program while authorizing potential eminent domain proceedings against landowners along planned routes, according to reporting by Oklahoma Voice.
The actions mark the latest step in the authority’s long-running effort to expand Oklahoma’s turnpike network, a plan that has generated opposition from some property owners and local residents, particularly in Cleveland County, where proposed routes have sparked years of controversy.
The authority’s board approved a request for the Oklahoma Council of Bond Oversight to authorize issuance of $1.5 billion in revenue bonds to help finance construction projects included in the ACCESS Oklahoma initiative.
According to the Turnpike Authority, the 15-year ACCESS Oklahoma program is currently estimated to cost about $8.2 billion and is intended to improve connections between turnpikes, interstates and growing communities across the state.
“This next bond issuance should carry us for at least another year of construction,” OTA Executive Director Joe Echelle told board members.
The proposed borrowing would be the third major bond issuance associated with the ACCESS Oklahoma program. The authority issued $500 million in bonds in 2023 and another $1 billion in January 2025. Additional bond issuances are expected every one to two years as construction continues.
Turnpike projects are financed through revenue bonds, which are repaid through toll collections rather than state appropriations. The Oklahoma Supreme Court upheld the authority’s use of bonds for the ACCESS Oklahoma program in 2023.
The board also approved a resolution authorizing the use of eminent domain if negotiations with certain property owners fail to result in agreements.
The resolution covers parcels along the Turner Turnpike corridor and the proposed East-West corridor near Norman. More than 50 parcels in Cleveland, Creek, Lincoln, McClain and Oklahoma counties were identified on the meeting agenda as potentially affected.
OTA officials said the authorization does not end ongoing negotiations with landowners.
“As we ask this resolution of the board, it does not stop negotiations,” said Todd Gore, the authority’s director of right-of-way and utilities. “We will continue to negotiate and always try to settle with landowners.”
The eminent domain action comes as the ACCESS Oklahoma program continues to face legal and political scrutiny from opponents who argue the project would adversely affect homes, businesses and rural property owners in areas targeted for expansion.
The original reporting was provided by Oklahoma Voice.
