UK-based multidisciplinary consultancy Atkins is providing construction management services to help the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) implement its ‘Driving Forward’ plan.
OTA’s estimated US$892m expansion and improvement plan targets six critical turnpike projects, and Atkins is providing assistance on three of those projects. The company’s work on Driving Forward projects totals more than US$20m and includes the following Oklahoma turnpikes:
• John Kilpatrick Turnpike’s Southwest Extension – The new 7 mile-long (11.3km) extension will connect southwest Oklahoma City and the metropolitan area with the urban core. It will offer an alternate access to Will Rogers World Airport, the state’s busiest passenger airport, which is located southwest of the downtown area. Atkins will perform construction management, resident engineering, and inspection services. The corridor extension is darted with school zones, residential areas, utilities, and major roadway intersections and interchanges. As a result, extensive planning and ongoing communication with OTA, contractors and the community will be pivotal action items.
• Turner Turnpike’s Reconstruction and Safety Enhancements – Since 2010, this 22 mile-long (35.4km) section of Turner Turnpike has been plagued by as many as 15 fatalities and more than 500 accidents. Once complete, improved lighting, wider lanes and additional travel lanes are anticipated to help improve safety. The enhancements will also create an urban corridor, making way for future truck-specific and high-occupancy vehicle lanes. Atkins’s construction management and oversight services will cover road widening and new bridges that span a roughly 11 miles (17.7km) portion of the targeted section of roadway.
• Northeast Oklahoma County Loop’s New Construction work – A reduction in drive time from the Oklahoma City metro area to Tulsa is expected with the new loop. Traffic congestion also may be minimized in Oklahoma City because of the 21 mile-long (33.8km) loop, which will link Interstates 40 and 44 (Turner Turnpike). As a subconsultant to Benchmark Construction Services, Atkins is providing construction management oversight for the Interstate 40 at Eastern Oklahoma County interchange and other future segments.
In addition to its latest project work, Atkins has served for more than six years as an on-site representative for building, roadway and bridge assignments on four other OTA roadways: the Cimarron, Creek, H E Bailey, and Indian Nation Turnpikes.
“We are committed to doing our part to make Oklahoma’s turnpike system safer and less congested, while providing commuters with the potential for shorter travel times,” said Atkins’ project manager, Ira Barrow.
“Drawing from our longtime relationship with OTA, and our past and ongoing turnpike work, we will successfully deliver our new project assignments.”
