Controversial Oklahoma turnpike route will shift westward

Oklahoma Voice

By Barbara Hoberock

September 23, 2025

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority on Tuesday announced it has decided to move a controversial new turnpike route about two miles to the west.

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s top priority when setting the new Norman-area turnpike route was minimizing the impact on people’s homes, said Joe Echelle, executive director.

“It was especially important to us that the new alignment avoid populated subdivisions, section line roads and dense development,” he said.

Engineers also looked closely at  environmental considerations such as floodplains, municipal use plans and existing utilities, he said.

Officials have been looking for a new corridor after the original route, dubbed the South Extension Turnpike, had to be revised when the U.S. Bureau of Land Reclamation determined the corridor proposed in 2022 was not compatible with the designated federal uses on Lake Thunderbird land in Norman.

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