Oklahoma Turnpike Authority to hold vote on controversial project

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is preparing to vote on whether to spend millions of dollars on design plans that the agency may never use.

The plan to add three turnpike expansions in central Oklahoma was put on hold last month.

A Cleveland County judge ruled that the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority violated the Open Meetings Act.

“No person of ordinary education and intelligence could know from the Agendas that ACCESS Oklahoma was to be rolled out,” said Judge Timothy Olsen, in his ruling filed last month.

The judge said language was “vague” and that it “shows an intent to deceive the citizenry of Oklahoma.”

He ultimately ruled that OTA violated the Open Meetings Act, and that their violations were “willful.”

As a result, the project was paused.

The problem is the board has already paid out tens of millions of dollars to firms that designed the plans.

One attorney representing hundreds of Oklahoma citizens in a lawsuit against the OTA says he's looking into legal options to stop Tuesday's vote.

The meeting is set for 10:30 a.m. in the R.A. Ward Transportation Building, located at 200 N.E. 21st St. in Oklahoma City.