EASTERN OKLAHOMA COUNTY GATE CLOSER TO REALITY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND GATE PARTNERS RECEIVE UPDATE

Contact: Commissioner Jim Roth
Phone: (405) 713-1501

Oklahoma County (July 3rd, 2006) – Today, at a special meeting of the Oklahoma County Board of County Commissioners, project engineers Don Douglas and Wayne Albury, of Triad Design Group, presented the partners in the long-awaited gate project with a current status report.

Douglas and Albury told the group the project has already met several important milestones, including Environmental Clearance and Plan-in-Hand Review. The next major steps, which may take up to a year to accomplish, will be the acquisition of right-of-way and utility relocation.

Commissioner Jim Roth, Chairman of the Board, told the group the current estimate for this phase of the project was approximately $1.5 million.

Once the utilities have been relocated, the remainder of the estimated $7,218,650 project will be let for construction. It is anticipated the letting will occur in spring 2007, with construction to begin that summer, with the project to be completed by late summer of 2008.

Due to the unique funding of the project, which includes funds from five sources, the project will actually be let in two phases. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation will let the portion dealing with feeder roads, while Oklahoma County will let the portion dealing with construction of the gate and ramp portions of the Turner Turnpike.

Partners in the gate project, and their contributed amounts, include the City of Oklahoma City ($750,000), the Oklahoma Department of Transportation ($2,000,000) which includes federal appropriations courtesy of Congressman Ernest Istook, and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority ($3,300,000).