Senator Lisa Standridge Comments on Revised South Extension Turnpike Route

NORMAN — Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman, issued the following statement after the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority announced the new route for the planned South Extension Turnpike, which would go through parts of Norman and Noble near Lake Thunderbird. 

“I am deeply disappointed that the new route for the South Extension Turnpike will still displace local property owners,” Senator Standridge said. “The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is hosting a series of open houses to answer questions about this updated route, which is appropriate, but that gesture does little to ease the heartbreak felt today by local families who are learning that they may lose their homes. It is simply not enough. 

“I remain committed to passing legislation that brings greater transparency and accountability to the OTA. Turnpike expansion that is approved in the past and not moved upon until decades later is not acceptable. Current landowners must have the opportunity to have their voices heard before approval and not be forced to fight a project that is sprung on them, as is exactly the case with this extension.

"I am also committed to fighting to help landowners get every last dime owed to them. In addition, I will continue to fight for landowners by insisting that the OTA work with ODOT to purchase, if need be, and modify existing roadways instead of forcing people out of their homes." 

Standridge’s Senate Bill 80, which proposes making the OTA more transparent and requiring greater public involvement in turnpike projects, is eligible to be heard on the Senate floor when the 2026 legislative session commences. Her interim study regarding the OTA will be heard in late October.

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For more information, contact: Sen. Lisa Standridge at (405) 521-5535 or Lisa.Standridge@oksenate.gov