State’s busiest turnpike (JKT) will widen

Yukon Rotary Club welcomes OTA chief to lunch meeting

Yukon Progress

By Conrad Dudderar, Associate Editor October 5, 2025

Oklahoma’s busiest turnpike, which crosses just east of Yukon, is due for a $375 million upgrade as part of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s 15-year Access Program.

The John Kilpatrick Turnpike (Interstate 344) now has an average annual daily traffic count of 76,217 vehicles – and that typically increases to 95,000-99,000 on Fridays, OTA Executive Director Joe Echelle told attendees at the Sept. 30^th Yukon Rotary Club meeting.

The 31-mile-long Kilpatrick Turnpike, first opened in 1991, extends from Interstate 44/Turner Turnpike and Interstate 35 to Interstate 40 between Mustang and Sara roads.

The west side of the four-lane divided toll road – along the stretch from Wilshire/Northwest Expressway to Highway 66 – has been the fastest growing by average daily traffic (increasing 8-10% annually) over the past decade, Echelle said during his Tuesday lunch talk inside Johnny Carino’s Italian restaurant.

View the full article: YukonProgressnenws.com