Department of Transportation opens Highway 20 bypass around Claremore

A new, 5-mile-long section of Highway 20 in Rogers County opened to traffic Friday, after 30 years of planning and two years of construction. The final $68 million leg diverts Highway 20 traffic around the South side of Claremore, with a link to US Route 66 and the Will Rogers Turnpike / I-44.

The new interchange on the turnpike opened last month and has already had 50,000 drivers use it.

"The first couple of days were less than a thousand, but the last week has been two thousand a day, and that just shows me there was a need," said Joe Eschelle, the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.

Oklahoma Turnpikes have historically had few interchanges because of the need for cash tolling, either through a change machine or a person collecting tolls. The Turnpike Authority only uses electronic tolling now.

"That's really freed up our ability to put interchanges where they best serve the traveling public, said Eschelle.

ODOT expects at least 12,000 cars per day will use the new section, based on traffic using the older road through downtown Claremore. Mayor Debbie Long said, "This will bring the big semi trucks from our downtown to the outside of town, saving the roads and traffic."