OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KFOR) – The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority has paused contract work on its highly contested plan for the $5 billion, 15-year-long ACCESS Oklahoma highway infrastructure project.
The decision applies to several previously planned highway infrastructure routes, including: I-44 Turner Turnpike Widening, I-44/Will Rogers Turnpike Widening, John Kilpatrick Turnpike Widening, new access points throughout Oklahoma’s toll-supported network and new alignments, according to a statement Wednesday by the transportation agency.
The announcement came Wednesday after over 200 property owners in Norman filed a lawsuit in May claiming the agency violated the state’s Open Meeting Act.
A Cleveland County court judge ruled on December 1st that the agency failed to inform the public about the intended routes on the meeting agendas in January and February of this year, thus “willfully” violating the tenets of Oklahoma’s Open Meeting Act. “While these developments were not anticipated, the Authority will move in a deliberate and thoughtful manner, in compliance with the Court’s decision, to progress ACCESS Oklahoma,” stated the agency in a release.
This OTA decision will go into effect beginning Thursday, until the board is able to consider and take corrective action by the Authority.
All progress, update meetings and currently scheduled meetings are postponed until further notice.