Joe Echelle, executive director of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, pictured at an April 2 press conference, said tolls will rise more than initially expected after inflation causes a price increase to a massive turnpike project. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice)
OKLAHOMA CITY – The cost of a massive turnpike extension and improvement project has gone up considerably, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority was told Thursday.
The increase will result in higher-than-anticipated tolls.
The 15-year Advancing and Connecting Communities and Economies Safely Statewide program, dubbed ACCESS, was initially expected to cost $5 billion, but inflation has driven that figure up to $8.2 billion, Oklahoma Turnpike Authority Executive Director Joe Echelle said.
“That is going to be what the stack of receipts will be when we end this program,” he said.
Sen. Mary Boren, D-Norman, said the hike will have a significant impact on those driving the turnpikes in the form of higher tolls.
Echelle said officials initially used 2021 costs to estimate the price tag.