New Turner Turnpike exit is good news for Sapulpa

Sapulpa's economy is expecting to take a jump from a new ramp off the Turner Turnpike. The new ramp empties straight into the town's fastest growing commercial area. <br/><br/>News on 6 business

Thursday, March 2nd 2006, 10:18 am

By: News On 6

Sapulpa's economy is expecting to take a jump from a new ramp off the Turner Turnpike. The new ramp empties straight into the town's fastest growing commercial area.

News on 6 business reporter Steve Berg explains how Sapulpa's ramping up.

The Beer Hunter Sports Bar manager, Rex Alexander, had no idea a new off-ramp was going in across the street from his new sports bar, but he's glad. "So I guess you could call it dumb luck to a certain degree."

City leaders on the other had knew exactly what they were doing when they pushed for a new off-ramp. You can see the traffic, and the traffic can see you but as Chamber of Commerce President Betty Calley points out. "They see all this and they have no idea how to get here. And by that time, they've already passed the area, and are almost into the Tulsa area."

The Sapulpa area already has one exit off the Turner Turnpike the problem is that it's in the northwest part of town and doesn't have a very good view of the city. As Calley points out, the next exit isn't until you get into Tulsa. So their solution put one more in the middle, at 96th Street, in the middle of Sapulpa's newest commercial district. "We want to catch them before we lose them to another community. And maybe they'll spend their dollars here instead of going someplace else.â€

Cities love out-of-town visitors because they generate sales taxes without putting a big strain on services. Rex Alexander just loves the business. "First come, first served. So we're on this side of town, so when they're heading east, they'll see this exit and the businesses along this exit will probably get the vast majority of exits on that off-ramp."

The new off-ramp is due to be finished in June.