Chickasaw Turnpike

The Chickasaw Turnpike is a short toll road in the rural south central region of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Originally, it was part of a now-canceled plan to connect southern and eastern Oklahoma with a longer turnpike. A four-mile segment was transferred to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation in 2011.

About Chickasaw Turnpike in brief

Summary Chickasaw TurnpikeThe Chickasaw Turnpike is a short toll road in the rural south central region of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Originally, it was part of a now-canceled plan to connect southern and eastern Oklahoma with a longer turnpike. The first section opened on September 1, 1991. A four-mile segment was transferred to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation in 2011, making it a toll-free road. The road is used by about 2,000 vehicles per day. It is the only two-lane turnpikes in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Turn pike Authority owns, maintains, and collects tolls on the turnedpike, which is owned and maintained by the state. It was originally envisioned as a corridor running from Interstate 35 near Davis to I-40 near Henryetta.

Governor Henry Bellmon argued it would be a money loser, so he shortened it to its current termini. In 2002, ODOT director Bobby Green said that his agency could not buy the turn pike due to a lack of funds. As part of his 1994 turnpiked package, Governor David Walters proposed expanding the Chick asaw to four lanes and extending it to Henryetta, which ultimately died when a commission overseeing the project voted against it. The OTA voted on November 11, 2002, to open discussions about transferring the Chickasasaw to ODOT.