Chickasaw Turnpike - History

History

The Chickasaw Turnpike was originally envisioned as a corridor running from Interstate 35 (I-35) near Davis to I-40 near Henryetta. Proposed by southern Oklahoma politicians, the turnpike was intended to promote economic development by connecting Ada to the Interstate Highway System. It was proposed at the same time as three other turnpikes, which would become the Kilpatrick Turnpike in Oklahoma City, the Creek Turnpike in Tulsa, and the Cherokee Turnpike, which bypassed a mountainous section of US-412 in eastern Oklahoma. Rural legislators objected to the Kilpatrick and Creek Turnpikes, and moved to block them unless the Chickasaw Turnpike was built. Urban legislators relented and allowed the Chickasaw to be built as part of a compromise, with legislation requiring that the Chickasaw be built before work on the other two turnpikes could begin. The turnpike was authorized in 1987.

Governor Henry Bellmon opposed the Chickasaw Turnpike, arguing it would be a money loser. Bellmon had the turnpike built with only two lanes and shortened it to its current termini. Dewey F. Bartlett, Jr., an OTA board member, was later quoted as saying "I think it stinks. We never wanted to build it. It was not anything we thought was appropriate. But in order to build the three turnpikes that were necessary, that is the only way they would build it."

Bonds for the first section were approved in 1989. The bonds specifically permitted the turnpike to be transferred to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and become a free road, the only turnpike in Oklahoma eligible for this type of transfer. At the time, however, ODOT director Bobby Green said that his agency could not buy the turnpike due to a lack of funds. The Chickasaw cost nearly $44 million to build, equivalent to nearly $70 million in 2008. Its first section opened on September 1, 1991. As part of his 1994 turnpike package, Governor David Walters proposed expanding the Chickasaw Turnpike to four lanes and extending it to Henryetta. The Chickasaw improvements were eventually cut from the package, which ultimately died in committee.

The OTA voted on November 11, 2002, to open discussions about transferring the Chickasaw to ODOT. The transfer would also include a one-time payment of $14 million for maintenance. The turnpike had deteriorated since its original construction; ODOT director Gary Ridley said that recurrent pavement problems necessitated constant repairs. He also mentioned that there were other issues, such as right-of-way problems, that could endanger ODOT's ability to draw from the federal highway trust fund. House Speaker Pro Tempore-designate Danny Hilliard opposed the transfer on the grounds of the road's poor condition, as well as objecting to the partial interchanges. The lawmaker called the Chickasaw Turnpike "an albatross" and said "I told them that unless the Turnpike Authority brought that turnpike up to ODOT specifications, and completed the interchanges at Roff and US-177 north at Sulphur, we're not interested in having that thing dumped on the taxpayers."

To address these concerns, OTA began a $12.8 million pavement rehabilitation project on February 9, 2006. Construction constraints required the entire turnpike to be closed in March, causing traffic problems in Sulphur. The turnpike reopened on September 29, 2006. The Oklahoma Transportation Commission, which oversees ODOT, voted on August 6, 2007, to begin feasibility and cost–benefit analysis studies towards accepting the 4 miles (6.4 km) of the turnpike between SH-7 and US-177.