Along its 600-mile stretch from Wichita Falls, Texas, to St. Louis, Missouri, Interstate 44 (I-44) passes through Oklahoma, where it is known locally as the Turner Turnpike. The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) is in the early stages of a 15-year-long project to widen the Turner Turnpike from four to six lanes between Oklahoma City and Bristow, Oklahoma, which is approximately 68 miles.

The lengthy project is part of ACCESS Oklahoma, which stands for Advancing and Connecting Communities and Economies Safely Statewide. ACCESS Oklahoma is the next-generation bond program (the previous program was Driving Forward), which kickstarted the widening of Turner Turnpike between Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The ACCESS Oklahoma website says that the Turner Turnpike is a “vital corridor that connects Oklahoma's two metro areas.”

OTA and Duit Construction are currently working on a 6-mile stretch of Turner Turnpike between Heyburn and Bristow. The project picks up where Driving Forward left off, which is just west of Kellyville, Oklahoma.

Traffic levels within the project area are projected to grow substantially. According to OTA, the current average daily traffic is 37,000, and they project it to be north of 63,000 by 2041. Trucks heavily use the freight corridor.

"We project 1.5 to 2 percent traffic growth each year," said Ladan Nelson, ACCESS Program Manager for OTA. "The ACCESS project represents a proactive approach to dealing with traffic growth."

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In addition to addressing future traffic needs, the project deals with current needs. Turner Turnpike was constructed in 1953, and little work has been done since then between Oklahoma City and Heyburn. The inside and outside shoulder widths are just 4 feet and not up to today's standards.

Nelson said that another reason for beginning the project was that they “had the design plans, acquired right of way, and completed the preconstruction factors.”

Regarding the 6-mile project length, Nelson said they “typically like to keep linear projects to between 3 to 6 miles. We limit it to six to minimize inconvenience for the traveling public, as we don't want to keep them in a work zone for too long."

Turner Turnpike is 32 feet wide in each direction — two 12-foot lanes and 4-foot inside and outside shoulders. When the team completes the project, the width will be more than 70 feet. There will be three 12-foot lanes and a 10-foot inside shoulder.

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"This will technically be an eight-lane highway upon completion, but we'll stripe it for a six-lane for now," Nelson said. She added that the outside shoulder will be 23 feet, but it will be converted into a driving lane when the traffic growth demands it.

Other project elements include improvements to lighting and the development of a new interchange mile marker 203 on the east end of the project near Heyburn. The interchange will reduce commute times for Heyburn residents by 12 to 15 minutes.

"One of the goals of ACCESS Oklahoma is to improve connectivity to areas that Turner had originally bypassed," Nelson said. "Another benefit of the interchange is it will improve emergency response times.”

OTA is keeping all four traffic lanes open during construction. They caution drivers to respect the posted speed limit, put down distractions, and always wear a seat belt. Drivers can expect significant lane shifts and possible nighttime closures narrowing to one lane in each direction. They also can expect intermittent rolling roadblocks and reduced speed in the work zone.

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To keep four lanes of traffic open during construction, OTA narrowed lanes to 11 feet and removed the shoulders. This makes for a very tight workspace.

OTA has applied some standard and not-so-standard procedures to keep the crew and the public safe. This includes the installation of a rigid construction barrier wall. They also have a service patrol vehicle (tow truck) constantly traveling along the work zone.

"If vehicles incur any type of distress — an accident, flat tire, etc. — we support them and help them with their problem," Nelson said. "This is a free service to the public." The goal is to ensure consistent traffic flow.

Duit Construction has come up with an innovation to keep traffic flowing. They set up a portable concrete plant on the north side of Turner Turnpike. The general contractor installed a 20-foot-high conveyor bridge that transfers the concrete over the turnpike to the inside phase of the project where work is taking place. The substantial height of the conveyor bridge was to ensure it would not cause height restrictions.

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"The crew puts material onto the bridge, which shoots it over the turnpike and puts it in the work zone,” Nelson said. “The concrete is dumped onto a flatbed truck, and the crew transports it to where paving is occurring."

This is the first time OTA has had a conveyor bridge on a project, and it has only been used once before in the state. The innovation benefits this project, as crews expect it to transfer 83,000 cubic yards of concrete.

Nelson estimates that the conveyor bridge eliminates over 8,000 trucks from being introduced onto the turnpike. Therefore, using the bridge minimizes traffic impacts, increases safety, saves money, speeds up the work, and lessens environmental impact.

Another challenge on the project is dealing with the drainage box structures that are 8 to 10 feet below the pavement. Some of the boxes are original from when the Turner Turnpike was constructed.

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"Addressing the drainage structures is a kickstarter for the project, so the boxes have to be done in the timely fashion," Nelson said.

"The contractor has to check the soil and earthwork around each drainage structure to ensure it can support the soil on top of it," she added. "Design engineers check the box's condition to determine if they can be extended or replaced.”

Headquartered in nearby Edmond, Oklahoma, Duit Construction Company was referred to as "concrete gurus" by Nelson. The experienced company is one of the larger general contractors in the state and has worked with OTA on many projects.

"We have a great working relationship and appreciate that Duit has a specialized history with concrete," Nelson said. "Long linear concrete pavement is their specialty.”

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Construction on the project began in spring 2024 and is projected to end in spring 2026, or after 620 calendar days. The project is at 62 percent completion and is on schedule. Nelson points to the conveyor bridge and its efficiency in bringing materials to the site as a key reason for keeping the project on schedule.

The construction budget for the project is $98 million. Originally, ACCESS Oklahoma budgeted $112 million, but bids came in lower than anticipated. The project is on budget, which Nelson attributes to the set of plans and minimal field modifications and change orders.

ACCESS Oklahoma raised the money via the municipal bond market. While anyone was able to purchase the bonds, Oklahoma residents were prioritized.

When the project is completed, ACCESS Oklahoma will have notched its first project and will be one step closer to reaching its goal of widening the Turner Turnpike between Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

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The public will have a modernized highway with broad shoulders, and trucks will have a dedicated lane that will enhance mobility and increase safety. The new lighting system will also improve safety. The new interchange is expected to spur development in Heyburn.

• Owner: Oklahoma Turnpike Authority
• General Contractor: Duit Construction, Edmond, Oklahoma
• Design Engineer: MacArthur Associated Consultants, Edmond, Oklahoma
• Construction Management: WSB, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Other Key Contractors: Sherwood Construction, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Wyatt Construction, Fulshear, Texas