Design is still underway on the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority East-West Connector turnpike going from Newcastle to Norman.
Mayor Karl Nail said the OTA was supposed to be at 60% in design completion on the project by now, but they are not quite there. He added that the OTA wants to get started on the bridge over the South Canadian River.
“They have been doing drilling work to determine what will accommodate the bridge structures, such as piers,” Nail said. “They are continuing to purchase property, and they have the OTA board’s blessing to look at eminent domain if necessary.”
Nail said the OTA doesn’t want to go that route, and continues to work closely with area landowners to reach agreements on purchasing the land.
Nail said some of the land in question has been in their family since the early 1900s and is original Chickasaw allotment land. He also said there’s nothing that can be done to stop it and the project will be very beneficial to the community.
“This will change Newcastle,” Nail said. The Mayor said he anticipates work to begin on N. Portland in either late summer or early fall, but other parts of the turnpike project to get underway in the first quarter of 2026.
“Things are beginning to happen in Newcastle,” Nail said.
The City of Newcastle has been working on various projects impacted by the turnpike that have to be complete before the OTA work.
Nail said, “The City is having to move a pump station in the area which pulls water from Oklahoma City. We are upgrading the pump station and putting a casing in under where the turnpike is going so it will accommodate a 24” line. We’ll upsize the pump station to deal with the additional lines.”
Nail said the OTA is paying for what they are having to move to accommodate the project, but the City is having to pay for it’s needs.
“There’s also some sewer and water infrastructure that we are extending (adjacent to I-44) where we will put casing in and go ahead and put the line in where the turnpike will be,” Nail said.
He said the City intends to provide sewer to the north side.
“This will hopefully open up that area for more commercial type of development in the future,” he said. “This will make it more favorable for commercial and retail type developments. We believe we’ll have an uptick in our sales tax revenue when all is in place.”
Because of the work affected by the turnpike, the City is putting other projects on hold.
Nail said, “The next two to three years, we are having to do this infrastructure work. Later, we’ll be able to do the other projects.”
Nail said the City is still doing its best planning to make things better for Newcastle residents.
The East-West Connector goes from U.S. Interstate 44 at State Highway 37, crossing the South Canadian River, east to U.S. Interstate 35, then continuing east along Indian Hills Road, and then northeast to U.S. Interstate 40, connecting to the Kickapoo Turnpike.
