State, federal agencies not following law in Oklahoma turnpike expansion, lawsuit alleges

OKLAHOMA CITY – An anti-turnpike group has sued the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and four federal agencies, asking a judge to stop a portion of a massive toll road expansion and improvement project.

Pike Off, a nonprofit citizen-led organization, filed suit last week in the U.S. District Court for the Western District, alleging the proper environmental processes were not followed for the building of the East-West Connector in the Norman area.

In addition to OTA, the group has sued the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers, the Federal Highway Administration, the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The suit alleges OTA and the federal agencies have “all failed to uphold their statutory duties to ensure the protection of Oklahoma’s wildlife, waterways, nautical environment and Plaintiff’s procedural rights.”

The suit seeks to halt further construction on the 28-mile East-West Connector until the required permits and environmental reviews are completed.

Lisa Shearer-Salim, an OTA spokesperson, said the proper procedures have been followed. The agency denies wrongdoing.

The East-West Connector will link Interstate 44 in the area of Tuttle and Newcastle at Oklahoma State Highway 37 and cross the Canadian River east to Interstate 35. It will continue northeast to Interstate 40 to connect to the Kickapoo Turnpike in eastern Oklahoma County.

It is part of the ACCESS program, called Advancing and Connecting Communities and Economies Safely Statewide. The 15-year program is expected to cost more than $8 billion.

The suit alleges the East-West Connector will impact the Canadian River, Lake Thunderbird and Lost Creek.

The group alleges the Canadian River is home to several endangered or threatened species including the Monarch butterfly, the Arkansas River shiner minnow, the Peppered Chub minnow, and the Whooping crane among others. There is an imminent threat to the species’ habitats, the lawsuit alleges.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers said the agency does not comment on litigation. The three other agencies did not respond to a request for comment.