TULSA, Okla. — The Gilcrease Expressway is set to open up Monday, weather permitting, but it already has some residents in west Tulsa up in arms.
The section of road between 41st and 51st leading up to I-44 used to be free to drive. Now that it's part of the new turnpike west extension, drivers will be charged to drive that one-mile stretch of road.
The section of Gilcrease Expressway west has a long history, but it's not even open yet.
In total, it's a five-mile stretch that runs from I-44/2-44 north to U.S. 412. It's a vital connection that even includes a river crossing.
Planning started back in the 1960s according to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.
And years ago, the city of Tulsa purchased the right of ways, however, according to Joe Echelle with OTA, they had no funding source to deliver the project.
The pandemic, weather, and environmental delays pushed back the project even more.
"We had bald eagles that actually nested just a few hundred feet away from active construction. We needed to work around them, so we worked with U.S. Fish and Wildlife. We also had a major archeological dig site discovered on the banks of the Arkansas River where archaeologists dug up 6500 artifacts and so some of those things had some delay to the project," says Echelle.
But the delayed opening isn't what concerns business owner and west Tulsa resident, Melissa Myers.
"We own a business here and we want to expand our business, and now with this extension turning into a not free road, us with having 7 trucks and trailers, it's going to be super expensive for us to even use this," says Myers.
She is talking about the one-mile stretch of road from 41st to 51st that used to be free to drive.
"And this is the safest, less hazardous section for us to get onto the highway. So that's going to put us to where we have to go 66th west avenue, which is not safe, doesn't have shoulders, it doesn't have sidewalks and it's just not feasible to expand that area. And if we go to 49th west avenue, that's all commercial with big trucks on that road," says Myers.
She says this section of the toll road will force drivers like herself to choose different routes, and she feels it could damage those detours and make it unsafe. Not to mention the cost.
The tolls are cashless, and you will either pay using your pike pass or plate pay. Cameras will capture an image of your license plate and then you will receive a bill.
The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority says the Gilcrease Expressway was built with federal dollars that will be paid back over 35 years.
'So, it's a very cheap interest rate and allowed us to deliver that project sooner than later," says Echelle.
All in all, the cost of the project is more than $370 million.
2 News has learned that multiple organizations contributed to the funding.
In addition, Echelle says the turnpike authority put in about 145 million dollars in cash to get this project delivered.
Part of the agreement with the federal government to get the loan for the road was that the turnpike needed to be tolled in 3 locations.
"41st to 51st being the first segment, then a tolling that's between 41st and 21st, and then another tolling section that's across the river that's up to the north up to U.S. 412," says Echelle.
For Myers, she says she is not giving up the fight to make the one-mile stretch of road between 41st and 51st free to use again.
'Right now, we are working with Loni Simms, our house representative, and our senator for our area, which is Cody Rogers. They are behind us and feel we got shafted," she says.
Myers says the Gilcrease project is taking the local community's most convenient, safest, and currently free access road and converting it into a toll road.
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