This map shows the area of the I-344/John Kilpatrick Turnpike that will be widened to six lanes between W. Wilshire Blvd. (mm 116) to just north of N.W. 122nd St. (mm 120) starting Feb. 23, 2026.
Widening work is scheduled to begin Monday on the I-344/John Kilpatrick Turnpike in north Oklahoma City as part of the ACCESS Oklahoma long-range plan, weather permitting.
The turnpike will be widened to six lanes between W. Wilshire Blvd. (mm 116) to half a mile north of N.W. 122nd St. (mm 120). A 12-foot driving lane will be added along with an 11-foot shoulder and a new median barrier wall throughout this section. Traffic is expected to be shifted and lanes will be narrowed, but the turnpike will remain open throughout construction with two eastbound lanes and two westbound lanes.
The project also will include widening the turnpike bridges over SH-3/N.W. Expressway to six lanes. Northwest and southeast SH-3/N.W. Expressway will be narrowed to one lane in each direction between County Line Rd. and Morgan Rd. Monday and Tuesday to set up the work zone. While lanes will reopen for the remainder of the week, they will be narrowed again in each direction from March 2 through late spring 2026 for bridge work above the highway. When bridge beam work occurs later in the spring, SH-3/N.W. Expressway motorists can expect some short-term night closures, which will be communicated with advance notice.
In connection with this project, OTA engineers proactively have been conducting noise studies along the John Kilpatrick Turnpike between I-40 and MacArthur Blvd. Subject matter experts will be reaching out to neighborhood organizations, homeowner associations and different entities to share findings and to discuss plans for potentially affected areas.
The $23 million contract was awarded to Duit Construction Co. Inc. by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority Board in December. Other work expected to take place includes removing the canopy and islands from the old cash lanes in this area.
The project is expected to be completed in spring 2027, weather permitting.
More JKT projects starting later this year
Expecting to start this spring, weather permitting, westbound Memorial Rd. between Council Rd. and Rockwell Ave. also will be widened to three lanes. The $12.1 million project includes the creation of a protected turnaround at Council Rd. and a new on-ramp from eastbound Memorial Rd. to eastbound John Kilpatrick Turnpike.
Later in 2026, OTA also plans to widen the John Kilpatrick Turnpike to six lanes between N.W. 122nd St. and MacArthur Blvd. and add a new partial interchange at County Line Rd. Additionally, westbound Memorial Rd. will be extended to County Line Rd. This estimated $55 million project is slated to begin in fall 2026.
More than 76,000 vehicles per day travel the John Kilpatrick Turnpike, on average. It has one of the fastest growing average annual daily traffic counts in the state’s turnpike system.