The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) report that a section of the Driving Forward Turner Turnpike expansion project will be completed several months ahead of schedule.

Officials held a ceremony to celebrate the completion of the first half of the Turner Turnpike expansion project with the completion of the first eight miles of the project on November 15 on the Heyburn Bridge at MM 207 on the Turner Turnpike.

The expansion is between Bristow and the Creek Turnpike West (State Highway 364) section at mile markers 202-208 of the Turner Turnpike. In the last five years, there have been 15 fatalities and 514 wrecks on this section of road.

“We are pleased to announce that the accelerated schedule is a result of advanced construction and engineering techniques,” OTA Executive Director Tim Gatz said. “Additionally, due to through planning, we kept four lanes of traffic open 95 percent of the time with a motorist assist vehicle to available to assist.”

This project creates a new urban turnpike corridor with lighting and wider, additional lanes. This turnpike is the third Driving Forward project to be finished following the H.E. Bailey and the Muskogee Turnpikes.