TULSA, Okla. — A lawsuit has been initiated against the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, with claims that the agencies are not adhering to a 25-year-old law concerning tolls on the Will Rogers Turnpike.
The suit argues that the agencies should honor the legal requirement stipulating that this section of the highway from Catoosa to Claremore is to be toll-free. Kevin Easley Jr., the attorney representing the case, insists that the agencies must follow the law equally as everyone else is expected to do.
Central to the lawsuit is House Bill 2259, enacted in 2000 and signed by then-Governor Frank Keating. The legislation mandates that the Oklahoma Department of Transportation lease the specified section of the Will Rogers Turnpike from the Turnpike Authority and cease toll collection there once a new Flint Road interchange opened earlier this year.
Easley Jr. stated that it has now been five months since that interchange’s completion, yet tolls remain in effect on the route. “We are simply asking for compliance with the law, which was intended to benefit drivers,” he remarked.
Preston Bennett, a managing partner at the law firm Mortazavi & Bennett who is not involved in this specific case, elaborated on the ambiguity of the statute. He stated that it is unclear when the transition to toll-free access is to occur, which adds complexity to the legal proceedings. “Does it take effect immediately when the law is signed or does it depend on the completion of a particular project? These are questions that have yet to be answered,” Bennett explained.
Easley Jr. is not only advocating for his father, Kevin Easley Sr.—a former lawmaker—but also seeking to expand the lawsuit into a class action. This would allow him to represent multiple individuals who have incurred toll charges on that stretch of road.
In response to the allegations, representatives from both the Department of Transportation and the Turnpike Authority refrained from commenting on the ongoing litigation. However, the Turnpike Authority indicated they are in the early stages of reviewing the lawsuit’s claims.
As this legal dispute unfolds, the outcome could ultimately shape how tolling laws are enforced in Oklahoma, affecting numerous drivers who utilize the Will Rogers Turnpike.
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