Tulsa Highways @ OKHighways.com -- Creek Turnpike

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Creek Turnpike
Exit Guide

No Exit Numbers
from Interstate 44 to
E. 51st St. S.;
Exits Listed from
West to East

Interstate 44 West
Oklahoma City
(WB Only)

OK 66
Sapulpa
Tulsa
(WB Only)

Hickory Hill Road
(EB Only)

49th W. Ave.
(WB Only)

U.S. 75
Glenpool
Tulsa

TOLL PLAZA
CARS: $0.65

Peoria-Elm

Riverside Pkwy.

Yale Ave.

U.S. 64 East
Memorial Dr.

Mingo Rd.
(EB Only)

U.S. 169 North
Tulsa

E. 96th St. S.
(EB Only)

TOLL PLAZA
CARS: $0.75

S. Olive Ave.

S. Elm Place

County Line Rd.

New Orleans St.

OK 51
Coweta

Muskogee Turnpike
OK 51 West
Muskogee
Tulsa

Kenosha St.

Exit 28

E. 51st St. S.

TOLL PLAZA
CARS: $0.75

Exit 31

E. 31st St. S.

Exit 32

E. 11th St. S.

Exit 33A

U.S. 412 East
Chouteau
Siloam Springs

Exit 33B (EB)
Exit 34 (WB)

Interstate 44 West
U.S. 412 West
OK 66 West
Tulsa

Exit 35
(WB Only)

E. Pine St.

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Creek Turnpike

Highway Review:
Fully completed August 16, 2002, the Creek Turnpike completely bypasses Tulsa to its south and east. The turnpike connects to Interstate 44 at its Exit 218 at its western end and at mile marker 242 at its eastern end. Like the Kilpatrick Turnpike in Oklahoma City, the Creek Turnpike is signed east-west throughout, despite having a long north-south segment. Also similar to the Kilpatrick is that the Creek was completed in stages. The turnpike was completed between U.S. 75 and U.S. 64 East in 1992, and was extended between Interstate 44 and U.S. 75 in 2000. The rest of the turnpike between U.S. 169 and Interstate 44/U.S. 412 was completed in stages between August 2001 and August 2002. The sections between Elm Place and New Orleans St. and between the Muskogee Turnpike and Interstate 44 were the last to open on August 16, 2002.

Overall, the turnpike is 33.22 miles long, and has a total of 23 interchanges, with six of them having only partial access. A short section north of Interstate 44/U.S. 412 is also considered the Creek Turnpike, and even has Creek Turnpike exit numbers. Which brings me to an oddity about the turnpike. Most of the turnpike does not have exit numbers. However, from just south of the East Extension Toll Plaza to Pine St. (the final exit before the Creek Turnpike turns into the Will Rogers Turnpike), there are exit numbers. For the exit guide on the left column of this page, I have used exit numbers only where they are posted.

The Creek Turnpike also has a short toll-free section between U.S. 64/Memorial Dr. and U.S. 169. At the U.S. 64 East interchange, the mainline becomes U.S. 169 North, as that highway begins its journey towards Virginia, Minnesota. U.S. 169 is known as the Mingo Valley Expressway throughout Tulsa. The Creek Turnpike is multiplexed with U.S. 64 (which merges on at Memorial Dr.), and U.S. 169 for a mile before the Creek Turnpike departs the freeway.

The turnpike costs $2.45 to drive its entire length, with three toll plazas: one between U.S. 75 and Peoria-Elm ($0.65 toll), one between U.S. 169 and Olive Ave. ($0.75 toll), and one between 51st St. and 31st St. ($0.75 toll). OK, so those add up to $2.15. The other 30 cents comes from whatever turnpike you are coming from. (Turner or Will Rogers). The toll booths are nothing more than PikePass lanes and exact change buckets, but if you don't have exact change, there are automatic bill changers in the toll lanes.

PICTURES

	Creek Turnpike West approaching OK 66 - 1/2 mile, and Interstate 44 - 1 mile. (Photo taken 11/26/04)
	Blurry shot of the Creek Turnpike West at OK 66 - Tulsa/Glenpool. (Photo taken 11/26/04)
	Creek Turnpike East assurance shield just east of OK 66. (Photo taken 11/26/04)
	Creek Turnpike West at S. 49th W. Ave. (Photo taken 11/26/04)
	Creek Turnpike East at Hickory Hill Rd. The interchange is partial access, with only an off-ramp from EB and an on-ramp to WB. (Top photo taken 9/4/03, bottom photo taken 11/26/04)
	Creek Turnpike East approaching U.S. 75 South - 1/2 mile, and U.S. 75 North - 3/4 mile. (Top photo taken 9/4/03, bottom photo taken 11/26/04)
	Creek Turnpike East at U.S. 75 South - Glenpool. The interchange once marked the western terminus of the turnpike before it was extended to Interstate 44 in 2000. (Top photo taken 9/4/03, bottom photo taken 11/26/04)
	Creek Turnpike East at U.S. 75 North - Tulsa. (Top photo taken 9/4/03, bottom photo taken 11/26/04)
	Creek Turnpike West at U.S. 75 - Tulsa/ Glenpool. (Photo taken 11/26/04)
	Creek Turnpike East approaching the Toll Plaza - 1 mile. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East approaching the Toll Plaza - 1/2 mile. No, the Oklahoma Aquarium is not accessible from the toll plaza - the sign is referring to the Peoria-Elm exit, which is just past the toll plaza. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East at the split of the PikePass and cash lanes at the first toll plaza. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	The first toll plaza along the Creek Turnpike East, where a 65-cent toll is charged. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East at Peoria-Elm. Jenks, home of one of the best high school football teams in the country, is just north of this exit. (Top photo taken 9/4/03, bottom photo taken 11/26/04)
	Creek Turnpike West approaching the toll plaza - 2 miles. (Photo taken 11/26/04)
	Creek Turnpike East at Riverside Pkwy. (Top photo taken 9/4/03, bottom photo taken 11/26/04)
	Creek Turnpike West at Riverside Pkwy. (Photo taken 11/26/04)
	Creek Turnpike East at Yale Ave. (Top photo taken 9/4/03, bottom photo taken 11/26/04)
	Creek Turnpike West at Yale Ave. (Photo taken 11/26/04)
	Creek Turnpike East at U.S. 64 East - Memorial Dr. Straight ahead is the northbound beginning of U.S. 169, and the eastern end of this section of the turnpike. (Top photo taken 9/4/03, bottom photo taken 11/26/04)
	"END U.S. 169" sign posted just east of the U.S. 64 East exit on the Creek Turnpike West/U.S. 64 East/U.S. 169 South. (Photo taken 11/26/04)
	Creek Turnpike East/U.S. 64 West/U.S. 169 North approaching Mingo Rd. - 1/2 mile, and Creek Turnpike East - 3/4 mile. Traffic from U.S. 64 West merges onto the highway just ahead. (Top photo taken 9/4/03, bottom photo taken 11/26/04)
	Creek Turnpike East/U.S. 64 West/U.S. 169 North at Mingo Rd. The Creek Turnpike will depart in 1/4 mile. (Top photo taken 9/4/03, bottom photo taken 11/26/04)
	Creek Turnpike East/U.S. 64 West/U.S. 169 North at Creek Turnpike East/E. 96th St. S./Broken Arrow. Notice that there is no mention of U.S. 64 on this highway. (Top photo taken 9/4/03, bottom photo taken 11/26/04)
	Creek Turnpike East at E. 96th St. S. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East approaching the Toll Plaza - 1/4 mile. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	The split of the PikePass and cash lanes at the toll plaza on the Broken Arrow South portion of Creek Turnpike East. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	The toll plaza on the Broken Arrow South portion of the turnpike, as seen from Creek Turnpike East. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East at S. Olive Ave. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East at S. Elm Place. This was the eastern end of the turnpike for a few months. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East at County Line Rd. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East at New Orleans St. The section between here and the Muskogee Turnpike was opened in November 2001, and until August 2002, it did not connect to the turnpike in any other way. Traffic counts were fairly light on that stretch of highway, probably because you still had to pay a 30-cent toll to drive on two miles of the turnpike! (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East at OK 51 - Coweta. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East at Muskogee/Tulsa. This exit leads to the Muskogee Turnpike, which ends 1/2 mile west of this cloverleaf interchange. The Creek Turnpike is signed as "TO I-44 East" at this interchange. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East c/d lane at the Muskogee Turnpike. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East c/d lane at OK 51 West - Tulsa. But, didn't we just see OK 51 a mile back? Yes, we did, but at the western end of the Muskogee Turnpike just west of here, the mainline becomes OK 51 West. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East at Kenosha St. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East at Exit 28 - E. 51st St. S. Don't you just love Tulsa's street names? (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East approaching the toll plaza - 1/4 mile. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	For the 3rd and final time, the PikePass and cash customers split for the toll plaza on the Creek Turnpike East. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East at the Creek East Plaza. And you will leave this plaza 75 cents poorer if you are a law-abiding citizen. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East at Exit 31 - E. 31st St. S. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East at Exit 32 - E. 11th St. S. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East approaching Exit 33A - U.S. 412 East - 1/2 mile, and Exit 33B - Interstate 44/U.S. 412/OK 66 West - 3/4 mile. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East at Exit 33A - U.S. 412 East - Chouteau/Siloam Springs. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Creek Turnpike East at Exit 33B - Interstate 44/U.S. 412/OK 66 West - Tulsa. The flyover ramp in the distance carries Interstate 44 East traffic to the Creek Turnpike, which becomes the interstate just ahead. This marks the northern/ eastern end of the Creek Turnpike, and the Will Rogers Turnpike will begin shortly. (Photo taken 9/4/03)
	Interstate 44/Creek Turnpike West approaching Exit 34 - Interstate 44/U.S. 412/OK 66 West - 1/2 mile, and Exit 33A - U.S. 412 East - 3/4 mile. The Interstate 44 West exit is numbered 33B on eastbound, and 34 on westbound. (Photo taken 5/24/03)
	Interstate 44/Creek Turnpike West at Exit 34 - Interstate 44/U.S. 412/OK 66 West - Tulsa. (Photo taken 5/24/03)
	Interstate 44/Creek Turnpike West at Exit 35 - E. Pine St. (Photo taken 5/24/03)