The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is canceling plans to build frontage roads and other amenities discussed in connection with new toll roads to be built through Norman and adjacent communities in response to rejection of the project by the Norman City Council.
Norman council members have spent the past month debating potential resolutions requested by the turnpike authority, which would have pledged the city’s cooperation in planning and construction of the new toll roads.
The 28-mile east-west connector turnpike is designed to connect Newcastle, Blanchard and Tuttle at State Highway 37 and NW 32 and cross the South Canadian River east to Interstate 35. The toll road will then continue east and northeast to Interstate 40 to connect with the Kickapoo Turnpike.
Lisa Shearer-Salim, turnpike authority spokeswoman, said engineers sought to work collaboratively with the city of Norman in response to requests for frontage roads, trails and other amenities. She said the resolution was requested as a step in a public process toward signing an agreement
“The OTA requested the resolution as a step in the public process toward signing an agreement that would determine ownership and maintenance responsibilities of the requested amenities,” Shearer-Salim said. “Frontage roads help provide long-term solutions for local traffic flow. If constructed at the same time as the new turnpike route, it would significantly lessen the construction costs for local taxpayers and lessen disruption to drivers.”
Design work for the east-west connector is 60% complete and currently includes frontage roads requested by Norman officials. Shearer-Salim said engineers will redo the plans to focus on the turnpike. Construction is expected to start in 2025 with completion in 2027.
T.J. Dill, deputy director of the turnpike authority, promised the current Indian Hills corridor parallelling the planned toll road will be kept intact.
“Regardless the outcome of this, we will not remove Indian Hills, it will remain as it is,” Dill told The Oklahoman. “We will not touch it. If we were going to complete the request the city had made to build the frontage roads, we would have rebuilt Indian Hills Road.”
City engineer Scott Sturtz and other staff previously recommended approving a statement of cooperation.
After multiple study sessions in which different drafts were written, the resolution that was unanimously rejected asked for the Norman City Council to “acknowledge” the ACCESS Oklahoma plan to build turnpikes through “critical” areas, including the city’s water supply, flood hazard areas and Lake Thunderbird tributaries.
Norman residents complained about turnpike officials’ tactics on turnpike
Rob Norman, an attorney representing residents opposed to the Norman-area toll roads, questioned whether city staff fully represented residents’ concerns.
“The main reason certain forces at the city and on staff talk about how we have to have a seat at the table, we have to have a resolution to have a seat at the table,” Norman said. “No, you don’t. You are supposed to already have a seat at the table.”
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Residents spoke for more than hour in opposition to the resolution, with some complaining turnpike officials have used manipulation, intimidation and time pressure tactics to impose their will regardless of hundreds of residents losing their homes and impact to water supply, wildlife and a delicate aquifer system.
Michelle Sinclair, a 22-year Norman resident, told the city council their support for the toll road will come at a cost.
“The greenspace is important to the health of everyone everywhere,” Sinclair said. “If you partner with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, you are giving those resources away. Your partnership with the OTA, no matter how you spin it, will result in the destruction of the land, destruction of hundreds of homes, and displacement of hundreds of residents who have built their dream homes, built their family homes, and built retirement homes where they can retire in peace.”
Other residents argued against the resolution saying the city can still fight the toll road in court and be the first community to successfully stop the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.
The city council, which previously debated the merits of the requested resolution, were unanimous in their ultimate vote.
Michael Nash, elected to the city council after initially leading opposition to ACCESS Oklahoma, praised residents for making their voices heard.
“There is no way we can overlook this amount of people, this amount of effort,” Nash said. “You don’t see this very often. I’m sitting here as a steward of our community, someone like you who cherishes the land we live on and the water that sustains us.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Turnpike Authority cancels frontage roads due to opposition
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