A second stretch of the east end of the Turner Turnpike is preparing to see its speed limit raised.
The expansion of the stretch between Bristow and Kellyville to six lanes is expected to be completed in the spring of 2026, weather permitting, said Lisa Shearer-Salim, an OTA spokesperson.
OTA is expected to increase the speed limit to 80 mph, said Joe Echelle, OTA executive director.
The current work zone speed limit is 65 mph, Salim said.
It will be the second section of the Turner Turnpike to see a speed limit raised to 80.
The section between Kellyville and Sapulpa is already 80 mph after widening was completed during a previous turnpike expansion project known as Driving Forward, Salim said.
Its successor, dubbed ACCESS, is underway and includes making the entire turnpike six lanes along with numerous other projects.
The six-laning of the Turner Turnpike, which stretches between Tulsa and Oklahoma City, is expected to be completed in 2037, Echelle said.
As officials make safety improvements along the turnpikes, such as cashless toll collection and pavement rehabilitation, speed limits have been raised, Echelle said.
“Over the course of the last six years, we’ve been raising speed limits as we have been making these safety improvements,” Echelle said.
Opened in 1953, the Turner Turnpike is 86 miles long.
Unveiled in 2022, the 15-year ACCESS program had an initial price tag of $5 billion. But in 2024, officials said inflation caused that price to rise to $8.2 billion.
Echelle said that a number of contracts awarded have come in significantly under the engineer’s estimate. If that practice continues, the price tag is not expected to increase, he said.
“Now, unless we add something, the $8.2 billion will capture everything,” Echelle said. “There is always the possibility for that to change. The bidding environment is good for us to be able to get more work done for cheaper money.
Joshua Lee, chief estimator for Edmondbased Duit Construction Co., said inflation on raw materials has slowed and the supply chain has leveled out.
He said Oklahoma Department of Transportation contacts have been stagnant or canceled due to the recent federal government shutdown.
“The contractor base is very eager to go to work,” said Lee, who is president of the Association of Oklahoma General Contractors.
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