Turnpikes of Oklahoma


Oklahoma has an extensive turnpike system, maintained by the state government through the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. All of Oklahoma's turnpikes are controlled-access highways with at least four lanes, although the Chickasaw Turnpike only has two lanes.
Tolls on Oklahoma's turnpikes are collected through the Pikepass transponder system or PlatePay, a cashless pay-by-mail system. In November 2024 the cash toll booths on the Will Rogers Turnpike closed, making the entire turnpike system cashless.

Turnpikes

Shortly after the Turner Turnpike was built in 1953, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority proposed other toll roads including one to be built from Oklahoma City north to the Kansas border near Braman to tie in with the southern terminus of the Kansas Turnpike at the state line. That routing was included as part of the Federal Highway Act of 1956 which created the Interstate Highway System. As a result, the OTA could not obtain financing to build that proposed turnpike and turned the initial plans including surveys and blueprints over to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation in 1956 for the construction of I-35 as a freeway on that same alignment, which was completed in several stages between 1958 and 1962.
Also proposed but never built was a toll road roughly following what would later become I-35 between Oklahoma City and the Red River north of Gainesville, Texas that included a spur route veering from the main route north of Ardmore veering northeastward past Ada to tie in with the Turner Turnpike near Stroud, Oklahoma.
Also proposed in the 1990s, but never built was an extension of the Muskogee Turnpike from its current southeastern terminus at I-40 southeastward toward Poteau.

Proposed Turnpikes

  • The East-West Connector is a proposed turnpike which would run through the southern suburbs of Oklahoma City and parts of Norman. It would extend from the Kickapoo Turnpike to I-44 in Newcastle. It was originally going to have frontage roads, however they would be removed from the plans.
  • The South Extension Turnpike is a proposed turnpike which would connect part of the East-West Connector to I-35 in Purcell.
  • The Tri-City Connector is a proposed turnpike which would go around OKC Will Rogers International Airport to connect Airport Road with I-44.

    Payment methods

PikePass

PikePass is the electronic toll collection system used by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. Created in 1990 and launched on January 1, 1991, PikePass provides an alternative to paying cash tolls. Most customers pay an initial $40 in prepaid tolls, which they can refill at their own convenience or have funds automatically withdrawn to replenish the account if it falls below a threshold. PikePass usage results in an approximately 50% savings on tolls compared to image-based tolling methods such as PlatePay.

Interoperability

Oklahoma is part of the Central Plains Interoperability Area, which allows electronic toll collection transponders issued from member agencies to be used on other tollways in the area. As of June 2024, PikePass transponders can be used on all turnpikes in Kansas, Texas and most turnpikes in Florida and Colorado. Oklahoma turnpikes also accept all transponders from Kansas, Texas, SunPass from Florida, and ExpressToll from Colorado. Interoperable transponders from these states receive the same 50% discount on tolls that is offered to PikePass users.

PlatePay

PlatePay is a cashless tolling system used by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority for customers without a PikePass or interoperable transponder. Customers using PlatePay travel in the same lanes as PikePass customers when passing through a toll plaza and are not required to stop at a toll booth. Automatic license plate recognition is used with vehicle registration data to identify the registered owner of the vehicle, and an invoice is mailed for their toll which is paid through an online portal or by check. Due to added costs with processing, mailing and handling, PlatePay toll rates are significantly higher than both the PikePass rates and the previous cash rates.
PlatePay was first installed at the Peoria/Elm interchange on the Creek Turnpike, and went live on January 5, 2017. During this time the Peoria/Elm interchange operated as a special cashless interchange within an otherwise cash-based system while preparations were made for a broader roll-out across the system. PlatePay was phased in across the remainder of the Oklahoma turnpike system between July 2021 and November 2024.
  • July 25, 2021: John Kilpatrick Turnpike
  • January 25, 2022: Kickapoo Turnpike
  • June 21 to July 27, 2022: H. E. Bailey Turnpike
  • August 16, 2022: Chickasaw Turnpike
  • August 30 to December 15, 2022: Cimarron Turnpike
  • February 7, 2023: Creek Turnpike
  • February 9, 2023: Cherokee Turnpike
  • August 29, 2023: Muskogee Turnpike
  • May 1, 2024: Turner Turnpike
  • August 28 to November 6, 2024: Indian Nation Turnpike
  • November 20, 2024: Will Rogers Turnpike

    Criticism

The turnpike system has received criticism from many, most notably from Gary Richardson, former U.S. Attorney and candidate for Governor of Oklahoma in 2002 and 2018, who has called for the abolition of the Turnpike Authority. Critics have noted the lack of revenue from turnpikes that actually goes to the state of Oklahoma. The OTA counters that it receives no tax money to maintain, operate, and pay off the turnpike system; and, if the state had to pay routine maintenance and capital rehabilitation on the turnpikes, the cost to the government would be an additional $105 million annually.