TULSA, Okla. — The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority said it will stop work on all ACCESS Oklahoma projects on Friday, April 14.
ACCESS Oklahoma is a $5 billion, 15-year long-range plan for the Oklahoma Turnpike System and it was proposed by Governor Stitt and Secretary of Transportation Tim Gatz in February 2022.
Gatz is also executive director of OTA.
The OTA said the halt is due to not having a clear timetable for access to the bond market. When the plan was originally announced, OTA said the project would be fully funded through bonds.
"ACCESS Oklahoma will be fully paid for with bonds and will not affect any part of the state budgeting process," said the OTA in a press release.
OTA says legal matters pending before the Supreme Court, including the “validation” case, and an impending state investigative audit, have prevented access to the bond market.
"I have mentioned several times, including during the recent board meeting, that our continued ACCESS Oklahoma project work would be impacted or even stopped due to our inability to enter the bond market,” Sec. Gatz told the OTA board in the memo.
“Whether you’re talking about the Will Rogers in Tulsa, whether you’re talking about new interchange access points across the turnpike network where communities may have just been flat out bypassed, all of that fits together in this comprehensive plan,” he said in a press conference Tuesday.
Attorney General Gentner Drummond made the following remarks after the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) announced it is halting all work on its ACCESS Oklahoma expansion plan:
“I am aware of the Turnpike Authority’s announcement to stop all work on toll road construction and improvements. This is a concerning development that causes me to question the leadership and cash flow management of this critical agency. While it is unclear what the future holds for OTA, I am certain that the investigative audit I have ordered is needed now more than ever.”
- Previous coverage >>> State officials unveil turnpike plan projects to connect corridors, communities
The OTA says it will continue normal operations and maintenance to toll roads and it will move forward with the conversion to cashless tolling.
“Despite the tremendous transportation needs across the state, I feel it is prudent to take this difficult step,” Gatz said. “This is an unfortunate decision that the OTA does not take lightly due to the critical nature of the ACCESS Oklahoma plan and the effect it will have on all our consultants and their employees as well as many Oklahoma communities and businesses that rely on these necessary transportation improvements. While these delays slow progress for the state, it doesn’t eliminate the need for these critical transportation enhancements that will improve safety and the quality of life for all Oklahomans.”
A group opposed to ACCESS Oklahoma praised Tuesday's announcement. Pike Off OTA released the following statement.
Pike OFF OTA is encouraged by the announcement that the Oklahoman Turnpike Authority has finally decided to stop work on the ACCESS Oklahoma program. It is neither lawful nor appropriate for the OTA to continue to work on the legally unauthorized East West Connector, South Extension, or Tri-City Connector proposed new turnpikes routes. Pike Off OTA has never been opposed to the lawful, financially responsible pursuit of maintaining and improving existing turnpikes projects.
To the extent the OTA may currently have a problem with funding maintenance and improvements on existing turnpikes, the OTA has brought this problem on itself. The OTA has willfully failed and refused to comply with the Open Meetings Act. It has also failed and refused to provide the Council of Bond Oversight, the Courts, or the Citizens of Oklahoma with any meaningful disclosure of how ACCESS Oklahoma bond issues would be allocated to improvements on existing turnpikes, as opposed to building these new turnpike routes that are not legally allowed under the Turnpike Enabling Act.
Instead, the OTA has chosen to continue to obscure their financial and business practices by inappropriately insisting on bundling maintenance, safety and improvement projects on their existing turnpikes with three legally unauthorized, contested, and unnecessary new turnpike routes. This $5 billion, all-or-nothing approach has been an exercise in questionable judgment and lack of transparency from the beginning. If the OTA is truly putting the safety of its patrons first, why has the OTA prioritized the pursuit of questionable, contested new alignments over much needed maintenance and improvement obligations on existing toll roads?
It is very disturbing to hear that the OTA apparently cannot pay for the safety and improvement of its existing toll roads without taking on billions of dollars in additional debt through the bond market. As Attorney General Gentner Drummond has stated, this calls into question the leadership and cash flow management of the OTA.
We are looking forward to what the State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd’s investigative audit may reveal about the OTA. It is time for all Oklahomans to insist on transparency, accountability, and lawful conduct from our government agencies.
The Association of Oklahoma General Contractors released this statement following the announcement.
The Association of Oklahoma General Contractors is disappointed to hear that the 15-year ACCESS Oklahoma program has been halted due to pending legal cases. While we understand that the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) has made a prudent decision, we cannot ignore the fact that the traveling public will be impacted by this halt. The increase in preventable accidents and lives lost due to dangerous and congested roads is a real concern for all of us. As a community, we must stay committed to improving the safety of all Oklahomans. We hope that the legal cases will be resolved quickly, and the OTA can resume work on the ACCESS Oklahoma program as soon as possible. In the meantime, we encourage everyone to stay vigilant on the roads and prioritize safety at all times.
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