Norman, Okla. — Residents of Norman are continuing to voice their concerns and demand answers after the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) announced changes to the Cleveland County Turnpike. The controversial 15-year, $8.2 million project, initially unveiled in 2022, has faced significant delays, largely due to a lengthy legal battle that ultimately reached the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The court ruled in favor of the Turnpike Authority, clearing the way for the resumption of the project.
Despite the court ruling, uncertainty persists regarding key details of the expansion, particularly concerning the route of the southern extension. The portion of the extension that remains undecided was originally proposed to run alongside Lake Thunderbird, a plan that has caused growing alarm among local residents.
Oklahomans for Responsible Transportation, also known as “Pike Off OTA,” has been vocal in its opposition to the project. The group organized a town hall meeting Wednesday night to allow Norman residents an opportunity to voice their concerns. One of the speakers, Tassie Hirschfeld, who serves on the board of Pike Off OTA, expressed frustration over the lack of transparency surrounding the project.
“They’ve announced they’re moving the route, but they won’t tell people where,” Hirschfeld said. “They always will say that it’s still in process and they’re still developing the final route.”
Residents are especially worried about the potential for their homes to be affected by the construction. Hirschfeld pointed out that despite the significance of the project, there has been little community engagement, leaving many locals feeling sidelined.
“There’s been no community input. They don’t listen. They don’t work with the city. They just act like a very autocratic government agency,” Hirschfeld said.
Terri Angier, the spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, sought to address some of these concerns. She explained that the proposed route near Lake Thunderbird had not met the requirements of the Bureau of Reclamation, a federal agency involved in land management. Angier emphasized that such issues are common in large-scale infrastructure projects and that work on the route is still in its early stages.
“This is absolutely the very early stages on this,” Angier said. “We don’t know where the route will end up being. The earlier they can work with us, the better in terms of really minimizing the impact and that’s what we’re asking.”
Angier also cautioned against the spread of misinformation about the project, acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding the final path but stressing that the OTA is still in the process of evaluating options.
With the southern extension of the Cleveland County Turnpike still in development, many residents remain anxious about the potential impacts on their homes, property values, and the community as a whole. As the project moves forward, local leaders and residents alike are hoping for a more transparent and collaborative approach to the planning and execution of the extension.
