Judge to decide if part of Will Rogers Turnpike should become a free road
By Ben Morgan – KRMG News11/19/2025 7:55am OKALHOMA – A public hearing of a class action lawsuit filed against the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation was held at the Rogers County Courthouse on Tuesday afternoon. This stems from the class-action lawsuit filed in July by Kevin Easley, Jr. and former Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Stratton Taylor. Both sides argued whether a stretch of land of the Will Rogers Turnpike will be toll free. “A promise was made 25 years ago to the citizens of northeast Oklahoma that this road would be free in exchange for ODOT getting money that they didn’t have to use on the road to build with,” said Taylor. “We think that promise should be kept and we think it will be.” The OTA and ODOT want the lawsuit dismissed, claiming there’s a lack of evidence. They declined FOX23’s request for comment. Taylor claimed through various statements over the years to various media outlets that both the Turnpike Authority and Department of Transportation went against their word after promising a toll-free stretch of Will Rogers Turnpike as recently as 2005. A judge will have 30 days to look over everything by both parties and must decide by then.
