Senate Transportation Chairman Wants Answers to OTA’s Poor Effort on Creek Turnpike

Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Stratton Taylor, D-Claremore, is asking Secretary of Transportation and Oklahoma Transportation Authority head, Phil Tomlinson, for answers on a poor performance during Wednesday’s snow storm.

“I personally drove the Creek Turnpike that day and OTA, in my mind, got a failing grade,” said Taylor. “The section between Highway 169 and Highway 75, which is the most traveled portion of the turnpike, was in absolutely terrible condition at 9 a.m., and appeared to have had minimal, if any, maintenance work performed on it.”

“I ultimately diverted to an alternate route on a road maintained by the Department of Transportation and found a better situation,” said Taylor. “My question is how can this be? They are both state roads and should have similar maintenance efforts for snow storms.”

“It is my belief that the OTA leadership simply went to sleep at the wheel for this section of road,” continued the Transportation Chairman. “If you are going to have to pay to drive on the road you would at least think that your toll fees would be put to good use.”

In a letter to Phil Tomlinson, Taylor has requested information on how the road was handled that day and what efforts were made by OTA. Taylor is contemplating holding hearings by his committee regarding OTA’s performance during the recent snow storm.