State leaders turned dirt Thursday near Newcastle on one of the key links in Oklahoma's turnpike expansion. The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Gov. Kevin Stitt, U.S. Sen. James Lankford and the City of Newcastle broke ground on what will become the Toby Keith Expressway Interchange, KFOR reported.
The interchange is part of the Access Oklahoma turnpike expansion program and is named for the late country music star. KFOR reports phase one is a $75.3 million project that will connect I-44, US-62, SH-37 and the Toby Keith Expressway.
Who's building it
The contract went out in July. The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority board awarded a $75.4 million contract to a joint venture between Allen and Shell to build the interchange connecting I-44, the Toby Keith Expressway and SH-37, according to an OTA news release. (KFOR's report used $75.3 million for the project; the OTA release put the contract at $75.4 million.)
Four companies bid on the job, and the winning bid came in about 1.6% below the engineer's estimate, OTA said. The work includes new bridges and ramps connecting I-44, 24th Street and SH-37, along with service roads and mainline construction.
OTA said it was the sixth contract awarded so far in a roughly 13-project push to complete the Toby Keith Expressway between I-35 and I-44.
What it will connect
According to KFOR, the expressway will also connect to the Canadian River bridges, which OTA said are about 40% complete. The state plans to open one of the two bridges to eastbound and westbound traffic in early 2028 while crews finish the project.
After all phases are done, a four-level interchange will directly connect Newcastle and the Tuttle area to I-44 and the river bridges. Crews will also build frontage roads and new ramps at NW 24th, KFOR reported.
The goal is to open the interchange in a year and a half. The turnpike authority said it hopes to keep I-44 open during peak times while the work is underway.
What leaders said
"It's going to change how this area connects to the rest of the state and to the Oklahoma City area, and how the rest of the state can connect to this area," OTA Executive Director Joe Echelle said, according to KFOR.
Newcastle Mayor Karl Nail called the new connection "so incredible for our community."
Tim Gatz, ODOT's executive director and Oklahoma's secretary of transportation, said the state's transportation system has to adapt as communities grow. "As our communities continue to grow, our transportation system has got to modify, has got to adapt, and has got to provide the same opportunities that we've been provided with," he said.
Cost pressure in the background
The groundbreaking came on the same day Gatz told a legislative panel that inflation is squeezing the state's road and bridge budget, as reported separately by Oklahoma Voice. Turnpike projects like this one are financed by bonds paid back with tolls, which is a different funding stream from ODOT's annual appropriation. Still, the timing is a reminder that every big job being let right now is being priced in a higher-cost world.
Why it matters for contractors
This is a big, active heavy civil job in the Oklahoma City metro. With the prime contract already awarded to the Allen and Shell joint venture, the opportunities now are for subcontractors and suppliers: earthwork, bridge and ramp work, concrete, rebar, drainage, striping, signage, traffic control and materials hauling.
Keeping I-44 open during peak hours means a lot of the work will likely be phased around traffic, and that tends to favor experienced traffic control and night-work crews. The bigger picture matters too. OTA says this is only the sixth of roughly 13 contracts needed to finish the Toby Keith Expressway, so more lettings should follow. Contractors who want a share of the remaining work should watch the turnpike authority's board agendas and bid notices.