Leaders from the City of Jenks, Tulsa County, The Oklahoma Department of Transportation, The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and the state legislature gathered Wednesday to break ground on an $18 million project to further develop the interchanges at the Creek Turnpike and Jenks intersections.DSC_0489

Jenks voters passed a $7.5 million bond issue for the project, and OTA has appropriated the remaining $10,588,000.

In partnership, the projects will build and improve frontage roads on either side of the Creek Turnpike to connect Elm Street and Lewis Ave south of the Creek Turnpike to the Oklahoma Aquarium at Aquarium Drive.

The plan includes a “Texas turnaround” on the east side of Elm to further eliminate an existing bank of signal lights.