Application of Oklahoma Turnpike Authority

1963 OK 234, 386 P.2d 165, 1963 Okla. LEXIS 506
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 22, 1963
DocketNo. 40697
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 1963 OK 234 (Application of Oklahoma Turnpike Authority) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Application of Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, 1963 OK 234, 386 P.2d 165, 1963 Okla. LEXIS 506 (Okla. 1963).

Opinions

JOHNSON, Justice.

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is an agency of the State of Oklahoma created and operating under Sections 6S1 to 687, inclusive, of Title 69 O.S.1961, and Sections 11-1401 to 11-1405, inclusive, of Title 47 O.S.1961. Such Authority, pursuant to Sec. 668 of Title 69 O.S.1961, has made application to this court for approval by the court of turnpike revenue bonds of the Authority authorized to be issued pursuant to tire statutes above cited and the trust agreement duly executed and attached to such application. The approval so sought concerns bonds of such Authority authorized in the principal sum of Thirty-one Million Dollars for the purpose of paying, with other available funds, the cost of a turnpike project, designated in the Trust Agreement as “Section A of the Eastern Turnpike Project” located on that part of the Eastern Route as described in Section 655(e) (4) of 69 O.S.1961, supra. Said bonds consist of Twenty-One Million Dollars designated “Eastern Turnpike, Section A Revenue Bonds, 1963 Series A” and Ten Million Dollars in bonds designated “Eastern Turnpike Section A Revenue Bonds, 1963 Series B,” all of said bonds dated July ■1, 1963, and maturing, subject to the right of prior redemption as set forth in the Trust Agreement, on July 1, 2003.

From an examination of the complete transcript of the proceedings and the notice given in connection with this application, the Court finds that due and legal notice of this application has been duly given as required by law, and that no protests have been filed, nor have any protestants appeared at the hearing before this Court on October 8, 1963. It is therefore adjudged by this court:

1. That the Authority is authorized by Sec. 655(e) (4) of Title 69 O.S. 1961 and See. 685 of Title 69 O.S.1961, to construct and operate a turnpike described in the statutes cited as:

“A turnpike, or any part or parts thereof, beginning at the Oklahoma-Texas State Boundary line, and extending North on a route lying East of the Cities and Towns of Wilson, Maysville, Norman and Oklahoma City, and West of the Eastern State Line of Oklahoma to a connection or connections between the Turner Turnpike and the south side of the Arkansas River, * * * in the most feasible and economical route. * * * ”

2. That the resolutions adopted September 19, 1963 by the Authority are in proper form and were by all adopted at such meeting.

3. That under such resolutions the engineering report of De Leuw, Cather & Company, dated July 29, 1963, and all of the provisions thereof were duly accepted and approved.

4. That the traffic report dated November, 1962 and supplemental report of July 31, 1963, prepared by Wilbur Smith and Associates, and the estimates therein contained, were duly accepted and approved on September 19, 1963.

5. That the location and route of said Eastern Turnpike Project was at said meeting of September 19, 1963, legally determined and found to be economically sound and have been approved by the Highway Commission of the State of Oklahoma.

6. That at said meeting of September 19, 1963, the Authority found it necessary to finance and construct such turnpike according to the design and engineering report mentioned supra.

7. That said meeting determined it necessary and desirable to authorize and issue the bonds described, supra, in the sum of [169]*169Thirty-oni} Million Dollars, prescribing the terms of such bonds and authorizing the execution of the trust agreement.

8. That at an official meeting of July 29, 1963, resolution authorizing the execution of contract dated August 5, 1963, between the Highway Commission and the Authority was legally authorized.

9. (a) It is further adjudged by this Court that the Thirty-one million in Authority Bonds, when issued in conformity to applicable law and the provisions of the Trust Agreement, shall be valid and binding obligations of the Authority in accordance with their terms.

(b) The Trust Agreement when duly executed by the Authority and Trustee shall be valid and binding.

(c) The provisions of the Trust Agreement for the authorization and issuance of bonds conform to applicable law and are valid.

(d) The official actions and proceedings of the Authority in the location of the Eastern Turnpike Project, the acceptance and approval of the engineering and traffic reports and the estimates therein, the authorization of the construction and financing of Section A of the Eastern Turnpike, the authorization and issuance of Thirty-one Millions in bonds, the Trust Agreement and the authorization and issuance of bonds thereunder are all hereby declared legal and are approved hereby.

In addition to the approval of the Authority bonds sought in this application, the Authority has submitted seven questions which they desire answered in connection with the construction, operation and maintenance of this turnpike project and “feeder” roads. These will be considered in the order submitted.

The question (a) presents for our consideration the legality and validity of a certain contract between the Authority and the Highway Department of the State of Oklahoma providing for the construction of certain highway facilities and state roads by the State Highway Department. The contract states in effect that the State Highway Department will so perform. Such highway facilities or roads are essential parts of the highway system of the-state. Under the agreement made by the Authority, the Highway Department has merely agreed to provide within the time specified facilities which the Department under existing law is authorized to construct, finance, operate and maintain. The fact that it is a feeder road or lead road to the proposed turnpike in no wise curtails or lessens the powers of the Highway Department to carry out its functions.

In the body of the opinion in Application of Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, Okl., 359 P.2d 680, we said:

“We construe the terms access roads and lead roads forming turnpike connections to mean those travelways which are essential to completion of the turnpike itself, and which are to be maintained and controlled by the Turnpike Authority. The law provides, 69 O.S.Supp. § 655 (in part):
“ ‘The Authority is hereby authorized and empowered * * * (e) to construct, maintain, repair and operate turnpike projects and highways, with their access and connecting roads, * * * >
“The facilities here involved are free to public use. They are not in any manner to be controlled or operated by the Turnpike Authority. If they are not truly such public roads, separate from the Turnpikes, then it would necessarily follow that they would be controlled and operated by the Turnpike Authority, and therefore be a part of the Turnpike itself.
“As supporting our conclusion here we observe that, specifically by law, the Federal Government will not contribute to the construction of any part of a toll Turnpike or facility thereof (23 U.S.C.A. § 301), but each highway facility here proposed to be constructed by the Highway Department is such construction as will have participation [170]*170by the Federal Government and of federal funds with federal approval of the project as a proper and useful highway facility, separate from the Turnpike Project.

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Bluebook (online)
1963 OK 234, 386 P.2d 165, 1963 Okla. LEXIS 506, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/application-of-oklahoma-turnpike-authority-okla-1963.