New Turnpike Exit Ramp Open To Traffic

Friday, March 16th 2007, 6:06 am

By: News On 6

A Turner Turnpike construction project came to an end Friday morning. Motorists traveling eastbound on the Turner Turnpike are now able to get off the interstate highway at West 96th Street near Sapulpa thanks to a new exit ramp.

Nearly 17,000 cars go east past Sapulpa every day, and those motorists used to have a tough time getting into town. City leaders say they'd always been told the only solution was a $10 million overpass, but with the widening of the turnpike the new exit cost just over $300,000 split between the city and ODOT.

"The economic impact of this project, is absolutely, cannot even be determined at this point, but I believe it will be one of the best things that's ever happened to our community," said Ted Fisher, Sapulpaâ€™s Economic Development Director.

The Sapulpa Chamber of Commerce hopes the new exit means their community's Main Street will see a few more cars.

"A turnpike, if you can't get off of it, you might as well have a Chinese wall or a river,â€ Fisher said. â€œBut if you can get off of it, we can entice those travelers to new attractions that we have here."