Turnpikes of Oklahoma

	Highway markers for the Kickapoo and Kilpatrick Turnpikes
	Turnpikes highlighted in red
Highway names
Interstates	Interstate nn (I-nn)
US Highways	U.S. Highway nn (US nn)
State	State Highway nn (SH-nn)
System links
	Oklahoma State Highway System; Interstate ; US ; State ; Turnpikes ;

Last updated June 08, 2024

Oklahoma has an extensive turnpike system, maintained by the state government through the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. All of Oklahoma's turnpikes are controlled-access highways. The majority have at least four lanes, though the Chickasaw Turnpike is two lanes.

Tolls on Oklahoma's turnpikes are collected through several methods, particular to each turnpike, involving mainline and sidegate toll plazas. Tolls can be paid through cash (at either unstaffed exact-change bays or staffed booths, depending on the plaza) or through the Pikepass transponder system. In place of cash collection booths, PlatePay, a cashless pay-by-mail system, operates on many of the state's turnpikes, including the Kilpatrick Turnpike, Kickapoo Turnpike, and Creek Turnpike.

Turnpikes

The Cherokee Turnpike is part of U.S. Highway 412 (US-412) in eastern Oklahoma.
The Chickasaw Turnpike connects US-177 just north of Sulphur to State Highway 1 (SH-1) south of Ada. The turnpike is two lanes for its entire length.
The Cimarron Turnpike begins at Interstate 35 (I-35) in Noble County (east of Enid) and ends in the western suburbs of Tulsa. The turnpike is part of US-412. It also has a spur to the southwest to US-177 north of Stillwater.
The Creek Turnpike runs around the outskirts of Tulsa, forming a southern bypass of Tulsa's core area. The Creek Turnpike terminates at I-44 on both ends, and acts as a bridge between the Turner and Will Rogers Turnpikes.
The Gilcrease Turnpike is a 2+1⁄2-mile (4.0 km) tolled extension of the Gilcrease Expressway in Tulsa, completing the west side of the Tulsa loop in 2022.^[1]
The H. E. Bailey Turnpike serves southwestern Oklahoma and is part of I-44. The H.E. Bailey turnpike has two separate parts, with a free section running through eastern Lawton. This turnpike connects Wichita Falls, Texas to Lawton, Chickasha, and Oklahoma City. It has a spur to the east, the Norman Spur, towards Newcastle and Goldsby.
The Indian Nation Turnpike passes through southeast Oklahoma, beginning at Hugo and angling northwest to end at I-40 south of Henryetta.
The Kickapoo Turnpike (I-335) runs through eastern Oklahoma County and connects Interstate 44 on the northeast side of Oklahoma City to Interstate 40 on the southeast side.
The Kilpatrick Turnpike (I-344) runs through the north and west sides of the Oklahoma City metro, running from I-40 to I-35/I-44, where it becomes the Turner Turnpike. This route acts as one quarter of a pseudo-beltway, proving access to the suburbs of Yukon and Edmond. An extension to SH-152 was completed in 2020.
The Muskogee Turnpike begins at SH-51 in Broken Arrow and continues southeast to Muskogee. A second section of the turnpike connects Muskogee to I-40 at Webbers Falls. The two sections are connected by a freeway, carrying part of SH-165.
The Turner Turnpike was Oklahoma's first turnpike, connecting Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The Turner Turnpike parallels historic US-66 (now SH-66), and carries I-44.
The Will Rogers Turnpike connects Tulsa to the Missouri state line near Joplin. Like the Turner Turnpike, this turnpike serves as a parallel route to US-66 and carries I-44. The rest area near Vinita is promoted as containing the World's Largest McDonald's.

Surveyed but not built

Shortly after the Turner Turnpike was built in 1953, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority proposed other toll roads including one to be built from Oklahoma City north to the Kansas border near Braman to tie in with the southern terminus of the Kansas Turnpike at the state line. That routing was included as part of the Federal Highway Act of 1956 which created the Interstate Highway System. As a result, the OTA could not obtain financing to build that proposed turnpike and turned the initial plans including surveys and blueprints over to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation in 1956 for the construction of I-35 as a freeway on that same alignment, which was completed in several stages between 1958 and 1962.

Also proposed but never built was a toll road roughly following what would later become I-35 between Oklahoma City and the Red River north of Gainesville, Texas that included a spur route veering from the main route north of Ardmore veering northeastward past Ada to tie in with the Turner Turnpike near Stroud, Oklahoma.

Also proposed in the 1990s, but never built was an extension of the Muskogee Turnpike from its current southeastern terminus at I-40 southeastward toward Poteau.

Payment methods

Pikepass

Pikepass is the electronic toll collection system used by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. Created in 1990 and launched on January 1, 1991, Pikepass provides an alternative to paying cash tolls.^[2] Most customers pay an initial $40 in prepaid tolls, which they can refill at their own convenience or have funds automatically withdrawn to replenish the account if it falls below a threshold. Pikepass usage results in a 5% savings up front and customers with 20 or more uses of the Pikepass receive a credit of 5% of their toll charges for that month.

Interoperability

As of June 2024, Pikepass can be used on all turnpikes in Kansas, Texas and most turnpikes in Florida and Colorado as well as Oklahoma.^[3] Oklahoma turnpikes also accept all transponders from Kansas (K-TAG) and Texas (EZ TAG, TollTag, TxTag), and SunPass from Florida, and ExpressToll from Colorado.

PlatePay

On July 25, 2021, toll collection booths on the Kilpatrick Turnpike were closed and replaced with the new cashless pay-by-mail system known as PlatePay. Customers using PlatePay travel in the same lanes as customers when passing through a toll plaza. Instead of the toll being deducted from an account, drivers are mailed an invoice for their toll which is paid through an online portal or by check. Due to added costs with the new system, PlatePay toll rates are 75 percent higher on average than the previous cash rates. On January 25, 2022, the Kickapoo Turnpike closed its toll collection booths to begin PlatePay operations.^[4] On June 21, 2022, the H. E. Bailey Turnpike from Lawton to Oklahoma City and its spur to Norman went cashless.^[5] The remainder of the turnpike from Lawton to Texas was converted on July 27, 2022. On August 16, 2022, the Chicksaw Turnpike went cashless. The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority plans to implement cashless tolling through PlatePay on all turnpikes by 2025.^[6]^[7]

Criticism

The turnpike system has received criticism from many, most notably from Gary Richardson, former U.S. Attorney and candidate for Governor of Oklahoma in 2002 and 2018, who has called for the abolition of the Turnpike Authority. Critics have noted the lack of revenue from turnpikes that actually goes to the state of Oklahoma.^[8]^[9] The OTA counters that it receives no tax money to maintain, operate, and pay off the turnpike system; and, if the state had to pay routine maintenance and capital rehabilitation on the turnpikes, the cost to the government would be an additional $105 million annually.^[10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 44</span> Interstate Highway mostly in Oklahoma and Missouri

Interstate 44 (I-44) is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Although it is nominally an east–west road as it is even-numbered, it follows a more southwest–northeast alignment. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, Texas, at a concurrency with U.S. Route 277 (US 277), US 281, and US 287; its eastern terminus is at I-70 in St. Louis, Missouri. I-44 is one of five Interstates built to bypass US 66; this highway covers the section between Oklahoma City and St. Louis. Virtually the entire length of I-44 east of Springfield, Missouri, was once US 66, which was upgraded from two to four lanes from 1949 to 1955. The section of I-44 west of Springfield was built farther south than US 66 in order to connect Missouri's section with the already completed Will Rogers Turnpike, which Oklahoma wished to carry their part of I-44.

The Kansas Turnpike is a 236-mile (380 km) controlled-access toll road that lies entirely within the US state of Kansas. It runs in a general southwest–northeast direction from the Oklahoma border to Kansas City. It passes through several major Kansas cities, including Wichita, Topeka, and Lawrence. The turnpike is owned and maintained by the Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA), which is headquartered in Wichita.

The John Kilpatrick Turnpike, pending Interstate 344 (I-344) signage as of Spring of 2024, is a controlled-access toll road in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The turnpike forms a partial beltway that runs from State Highway 152 (SH-152) and Interstate 240 (I-240) to an interchange with Interstate 35 (I-35) and Interstate 44 (I-44). At the eastern terminus, traffic continuing east merges with I-44 traffic, forming the Turner Turnpike. The Kilpatrick Turnpike is 31.0 miles (49.9 km) long.

The Turner Turnpike is a controlled-access toll road in central Oklahoma, connecting its two largest cities, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Authorized by the Oklahoma Legislature in 1947 and opened in May 1953, it is the oldest of the state's eleven turnpikes. The route is signed as Interstate 44 for its entire length, but was constructed prior to its designation as such. The Turner Turnpike was named after Governor Roy J. Turner, who pushed for efforts to build this toll road to connect the state's two largest cities.

The Gilcrease Expressway is a 10.5-mile-long (16.9 km) highway in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the county's long-term plan to complete an outer highway loop around Tulsa's central business district. The highway will connect Interstate 44 (I-44) in West Tulsa to I-244 near the Tulsa International Airport.

The Will Rogers Turnpike is a controlled-access toll road in the northeast portion of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The highway begins as a continuation of the Creek Turnpike in Tulsa, continuing northward from the I-44/US-412 interchange there to the Missouri state line west of Joplin, Missouri. The turnpike carries the I-44 designation for its entire length. The turnpike is 88.5 miles (142.4 km) long and costs $4.75 to drive one way. The Will Rogers Turnpike opened to traffic on June 28, 1957. It was designated as I-44 in 1958. It is named for Will Rogers, "Oklahoma's Favorite Son".

The Cimarron Turnpike is a controlled-access toll road in north-central Oklahoma. The route travels 67 miles (108 km), from an interchange with Interstate 35 (I-35) north of Perry, to Westport, just west of Tulsa. The route also consists of a 7.2-mile (11.6 km) spur which runs from the mainline southwest to an interchange with U.S. Route 177 north of Stillwater.

State Highway 66 is a 192.7-mile (310.1 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, beginning at U.S. Highway 81 in El Reno and ending at U.S. Highway 60 near White Oak. The highway was designated in 1985 as a replacement for the decommissioned U.S. Highway 66. Although most of the highway follows Historic Route 66, the highway follows US 66's final alignment, joining Interstate 44 through Tulsa and Oklahoma City, while older versions of the route follow various city streets through both cities.

Interstate 240 (I-240) is an Interstate Highway in southern Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, that runs 26.8 miles (43.1 km) from I-40 to I-344. The Interstate overlaps State Highway 3 (SH-3), the longest Oklahoma state highway, for its entire length and functions as a southern bypass around the Downtown area.

State Highway 7 is a 150.5-mile (242.2 km) highway in southern Oklahoma. This lengthy highway connects many towns in Oklahoma's "Little Dixie" area. It runs from Interstate 44 in Lawton to U.S. 69/US-75 in Atoka.

State Highway 51, abbreviated to SH-51 or OK-51, is a major state highway in Oklahoma, United States. It runs for 332.8 miles (535.6 km) east–west across the state, running from the Texas state line to Arkansas. It is the third-longest state highway in the system.

The Muskogee Turnpike, also designated State Highway 351 (SH-351), is a controlled-access toll road in eastern Oklahoma.

The H. E. Bailey Turnpike is an 86.4-mile (139.0 km) controlled-access toll road in the southwestern region of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The route, opened on April 23, 1964, is a four-lane freeway that connects Oklahoma City to Lawton in its northern section and Lawton to Wichita Falls, Texas along its southern section, roughly paralleling U.S. Route 277. The turnpike also includes an 8.2-mile (13.2 km) spur route that leads toward Norman, Oklahoma. Since 1982, it has been signed as a part of Interstate 44, and as such uses its mileposts. Travel along the full length of the toll road costs $5.50 for a two-axle vehicle.

The Chickasaw Turnpike, also designated State Highway 301 (SH-301), is a controlled-access toll road in the rural south central region of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A two-lane freeway, it stretches for 13.3 miles (21.4 km) from north of Sulphur to just south of Ada. The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) owns, maintains, and collects tolls on the turnpike. The first section of the Chickasaw Turnpike opened on September 1, 1991.

State Highway 152 is a state highway running through west-central Oklahoma. It begins at the Texas state line, serving as a continuation of Texas State Highway 152, and continues east to end at Interstate 44 (I-44) in southwest Oklahoma City, a length of 149.2 miles (240.1 km). Along its route it serves three county seats: Sayre, Cordell, and Oklahoma City. Near its eastern end, it passes through the Oklahoma City suburb of Mustang. The easternmost 5.2 miles (8.4 km) of the route is a freeway linking Will Rogers World Airport to the Interstate system, this section will be truncated in 2024 and will be a part of I-240. SH-152 has no lettered spur routes.

The Creek Turnpike, also designated State Highway 364 (SH-364), is a 33.2-mile (53.4 km) controlled-access toll road that lies entirely in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The turnpike forms a partial beltway around the south and east sides of Tulsa, Oklahoma's second largest city. The Creek Turnpike's western terminus is at the Turner Turnpike in Sapulpa, while its northeastern terminus is at the Will Rogers Turnpike in Fair Oaks; both ends of the Creek Turnpike connect with Interstate 44 (I-44). Along the way, the highway passes through the cities of Sapulpa, Jenks, Tulsa, and Broken Arrow, and the counties of Creek, Tulsa, Wagoner and Rogers. The road is maintained by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA), except for a brief free section shared with U.S. Route 64 (US-64) and US-169, which is maintained by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT).

Interstate 44 (I-44) is an Interstate Highway that runs diagonally through the U.S. state of Oklahoma, spanning from the Texas state line near Wichita Falls, Texas, to the Missouri border near Joplin, Missouri. It connects three of Oklahoma's largest cities: Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Lawton. Most of I-44 in Oklahoma is a toll road. In southwestern Oklahoma, I-44 is the H. E. Bailey Turnpike and follows a diagonally northwest–southeast direction. From Oklahoma City to Tulsa, I-44 follows the Turner Turnpike. As I-44 leaves Tulsa, it becomes the Will Rogers Turnpike to the Missouri border. In the Lawton, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa metropolitan areas, I-44 is toll-free. In Oklahoma City, I-44 is also known as the Will Rogers Expressway.

In Oklahoma, U.S. Highway 62 (US 62) runs diagonally across the state, from the Texas state line in far southwestern Oklahoma to the Arkansas state line near Fayetteville. US-62 spends a total of 402.48 miles (647.73 km) in the Sooner State. The highway passes through fifteen of Oklahoma's counties. Along the way the route serves two of Oklahoma's largest cities, Lawton and Oklahoma City, as well as many regionally important cities, like Altus, Chickasha, Muskogee, and Tahlequah. Despite this, US-62 has no lettered spur routes like many other U.S. routes in Oklahoma do.

U.S. Route 412 is a U.S. highway in the south-central portion of the United States, connecting Springer, New Mexico to Columbia, Tennessee. A 504.11-mile (811.29 km) section of the highway crosses the state of Oklahoma, traversing the state from west to east. Entering the state southwest of Boise City, US-412 runs the length of the Oklahoma Panhandle and serves the northern portion of the state's main body, before leaving the state at West Siloam Springs. Along the way, the route serves many notable cities and towns, including Boise City, Guymon, Woodward, Enid, and the state's second-largest city, Tulsa.

The Kickapoo Turnpike is a 19.6-mile (31.5 km) controlled-access toll road in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The northern section from US 62 to I-44 opened to traffic on October 13, 2020. The southern segment from I-40 to US 62 opened to traffic on January 5, 2021. It's pending Interstate 335 (I-335) signage as of Spring 2024, although a connection with I-35 will not be made until the southern extension of the turnpike to Purcell is built.

References

↑ Hoberock, Barbara (November 11, 2022). "Gilcrease Expressway turnpike to open Monday" . Retrieved February 9, 2023.
↑ Pearson, Janet (November 17, 1990). "Toll Booths Going High-Tech". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2007.
↑ "OTA: OKLAHOMA PIKEPASS NOW ACCEPTED IN MOST PARTS OF FLORIDA". News On 6(KOTV, Tulsa), March 10th 2023, 6:13 am. May 2, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
↑ Morava, Kim. "Kickapoo Turnpike west of Shawnee goes to cashless tolling". The Shawnee News-Star. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
↑ "H.E. Bailey Turnpike to go cashless starting June 21". www.kswo.com. June 14, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
↑ Griffin, David. "Oklahoma Turnpike Authority Says Move To 'Cashless' Toll Booths Will Take Time". www.newson6.com. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
↑ Staff, Megan Butler, KTUL (June 23, 2021). "Oklahoma turnpikes begin conversion to cashless tolling". KTUL. Retrieved July 26, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ Miller, Brian (August 8, 2016). "Oklahoma Turnpikes collect record amount of toll money, state does not profit from toll revenue". KJRH Tulsa. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
↑ Murphy, Sean (April 24, 2017). "Tulsa Attorney Gary Richardson to Run for Governor in 2018". U.S. News & World Report . Retrieved November 1, 2017.
↑ "OTA History FAQs". Pikepass.com. Retrieved December 10, 2020.

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[1] Hoberock, Barbara (November 11, 2022). "Gilcrease Expressway turnpike to open Monday" . Retrieved February 9, 2023.

[2] Pearson, Janet (November 17, 1990). "Toll Booths Going High-Tech". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2007.

[3] "OTA: OKLAHOMA PIKEPASS NOW ACCEPTED IN MOST PARTS OF FLORIDA". News On 6(KOTV, Tulsa), March 10th 2023, 6:13 am. May 2, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

[4] Morava, Kim. "Kickapoo Turnpike west of Shawnee goes to cashless tolling". The Shawnee News-Star. Retrieved March 20, 2022.

[5] "H.E. Bailey Turnpike to go cashless starting June 21". www.kswo.com. June 14, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2022.

[6] Griffin, David. "Oklahoma Turnpike Authority Says Move To 'Cashless' Toll Booths Will Take Time". www.newson6.com. Retrieved July 26, 2021.

[7] Staff, Megan Butler, KTUL (June 23, 2021). "Oklahoma turnpikes begin conversion to cashless tolling". KTUL. Retrieved July 26, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[8] Miller, Brian (August 8, 2016). "Oklahoma Turnpikes collect record amount of toll money, state does not profit from toll revenue". KJRH Tulsa. Retrieved November 1, 2017.

[9] Murphy, Sean (April 24, 2017). "Tulsa Attorney Gary Richardson to Run for Governor in 2018". U.S. News & World Report . Retrieved November 1, 2017.

[10] "OTA History FAQs". Pikepass.com. Retrieved December 10, 2020.

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v t e Oklahoma Turnpikes
Cherokee Chickasaw Cimarron Creek H.E. Bailey Indian Nation John Kilpatrick Kickapoo Muskogee Turner Will Rogers
Oklahoma Turnpike Authority Pikepass