WPBN: As part of a nationwide adjustment to the cost of utilizing the turnpike system, drivers will pay more tolls on Oklahoma turnpikes starting January 1. Since there are currently no plans to lower or modify the tolls, this rise is anticipated to stay in place for the foreseeable future, maybe for many years.
The turnpikes in Oklahoma will cost 15% more to travel on on average. However, a number of variables, such as the kind of vehicle being driven and if the driver is carrying extra cargo, will affect the actual toll amount.
For instance, tolls may be greater for larger or commercial vehicles than for smaller passenger cars. In a similar vein, because of their greater influence on road infrastructure, cars that tow trailers or carry heavier loads may be subject to higher taxes.
“We’re trying to account for the number of axles then convert that into a toll rate. That’s why vehicles that have more axles, vehicles that are larger, pay more,” Joe Echelle, the director of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, stated.
A modest rise in tolls, equivalent to an average of one penny more per mile traveled, will be implemented, according to the online travel agency (OTA). This change is a component of a larger pricing strategy that uses various rates according on the mode of payment.
Lower rates for users who choose to pay with PIKEPASS as opposed to PlatePay will encourage more people to adopt the PIKEPASS system for toll payments.
The current toll for PIKEPASS users is $4.50 for cars going between Oklahoma City and Tulsa. However, beginning in 2025, this rate is expected to rise to $5.40. The OTA’s larger attempt to modify toll costs while preserving price transparency is reflected in this anticipated increase.
The OTA stated that the ACCESS Oklahoma program will be financed with the additional money received from these higher toll levies. The goal of this initiative is to improve the state’s transportation services and infrastructure in order to benefit locals and visitors in the long run.
Even though the project requires a slight increase in toll prices for customers, it demonstrates the agency’s dedication to enhancing roads and guaranteeing greater connectivity throughout Oklahoma.
“It’s a penny-per-mile increase to get all these necessary safety enhancements and improvements to our existing network, as well as to build these alternative alignments to help with the congestion on the south side of Oklahoma City,” Echelle stated.
Every two years, there is a possibility that the cost of tolls will increase by an additional 6%.
“The program gets built. Sometime in the future, when it’s no longer necessary to increase tolls, we won’t,” Echelle stated.
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These incremental increases will be presented to the board of directors of the turnpike authority each time with the intention of receiving approval prior to their implementation.
In order to notify drivers of the rise in the toll, OTA has stated that there would be signs. At the stroke of midnight on January 1st, it will go into effect.
