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The Creek Turnpike, also designated State Highway 364 (SH-364), is a freeway-standard toll road that lies entirely in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The turnpike forms a partial beltway around the south and east sides of Tulsa, Oklahoma's second largest city. The Creek Turnpike's western terminus is at the Turner Turnpike in Sapulpa, while its northeastern terminus is at the Will Rogers Turnpike in Fair Oaks; both ends of the Creek Turnpike connect with Interstate 44 (I-44). Along the way, the highway passes through the cities of Sapulpa, Jenks, Tulsa, and Broken Arrow, and the counties of Creek, Tulsa, Wagoner and Rogers. The road is maintained by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA), except for a brief free section shared with U.S. Route 64 (US-64) and US-169. This free section is maintained by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT). The first section of the Creek Turnpike, from US-75 in Jenks to US-64/US-169 in Tulsa, was first authorized in 1987, with construction beginning in 1989. The turnpike's construction was controversial; homeowners along the route of the highway formed a group called Tulsans Against Turnpikes to fight the highway in both the courtroom and the media. The highway was also challenged on environmental grounds, with impacts upon wetlands and endangered species being the chief concerns. Nevertheless, the highway opened to traffic in three sections, starting from the easternmost, over the course of the first half of 1992. Further extensions to both the east and the west followed in later years after several years of false starts under the administrations of two different governors. Expansion of the highway was finally approved in 1998. The extension to the west, linking the Creek Turnpike to the Turner Turnpike in Sapulpa, opened December 15, 2000. The extension to the east opened in three parts over the course of 2001 and 2002. ==Route description== The Creek Turnpike begins at I-44 (Turner Turnpike) exit 217 in the city of Sapulpa. This interchange only provides access from eastbound I-44 to the Creek Turnpike and from the Creek Turnpike to westbound I-44. The turnpike runs in a general southeast direction from this terminus towards the Creek–Tulsa county line, crossing over Polecat Creek. Upon crossing into Tulsa County, the toll road turns to a more easterly course. The highway enters Jenks less than one mile (approximately 1.6 km) east of the county line. In Jenks, the highway has a modified cloverleaf interchange at US-75; the westbound Turnpike to southbound US-75 ramp is a directional ramp rather than a loop ramp. The Creek Turnpike then passes through the first of three barrier toll plazas.〔 Near the interchange with Elm Street (signed as "Peoria–Elm"; Elm Street is named Peoria Avenue outside of Jenks), the highway bridges Polecat Creek again, before crossing the Arkansas River into Tulsa.〔〔 In Tulsa, the Creek Turnpike has an interchange at Memorial Drive, which carries US-64 south of the toll road. At this interchange, Creek Turnpike traffic merges with northbound US-64 onto a free road, forming the Mingo Valley Expressway. US-169 also begins at this interchange, heading north from here toward its other end in Virginia, Minnesota. As the Mingo Valley Expressway (carrying US-64/US-169) turns north, the Creek Turnpike exits to continue southeast.〔 The highway leaves Tulsa, entering Broken Arrow,〔 where it crosses over Haikey Creek.〔 The turnpike passes through the second toll plaza, then turns back east.〔 In southeast Broken Arrow, the Creek Turnpike crosses the county line into Wagoner County and swings towards the north-northeast. It then meets SH-51, followed by the Muskogee Turnpike (SH-351) near that highway's western terminus. The Creek Turnpike passes through the third and final barrier toll after re-entering Tulsa.〔 From the toll plaza, the turnpike proceeds north to end at the I-44/US-412 interchange, which straddles the Wagoner–Rogers County county line. The portion of the interchange that sits in Rogers County also lies in the town of Fair Oaks. The mainline Creek Turnpike becomes the Will Rogers Turnpike as eastbound I-44 merges onto the roadway.〔 Exit numbers are absent along the Creek Turnpike until the 51st Street South interchange, which is numbered as exit 28. Exit numbers are posted north of this interchange, continuing until the highway's terminus (exits 33A–B). The Creek Turnpike's exit numbering is used for the final two exits on the westbound Will Rogers Turnpike—the westbound-only Pine Street exit (exit 35) and the westbound I-44 ramp (exit 34). The entirety of the Creek Turnpike has been recognized as important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by its inclusion in the National Highway System. In 2011, the highest average annual daily traffic (AADT) count was 26,900 vehicles eastbound and 26,476 vehicles westbound between the Yale Avenue and Memorial Drive interchanges. The lowest AADT counts, 4,426 vehicles eastbound and 4,463 vehicles westbound, were recorded between the 11th Street interchange and the northeastern terminus. Law enforcement along the Creek Turnpike is provided by Oklahoma Highway Patrol Troop XE, a special troop assigned to the turnpike.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.dps.state.ok.us/ohp/tngrct/ohpweb/troops.html )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Creek Turnpike」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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