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.

On February 16, 1989, OTA sold $558.4 million in revenue bonds (about $1.19 billion in 2023 dollars[17]) to cover the cost of all four proposed turnpikes.

Among the changes proposed by the city was a shift in the route of 100 feet (30 m) to the north between Yale Avenue and Sheridan Road to accommodate a greenway along both sides of the turnpike.

The committee also recommended wider overpasses to accommodate future expansion of surface streets such as Delaware Avenue, moving the mainline toll plaza farther east to minimize impact on the surrounding area, and better compliance with local flood prevention ordinances.

Mayor Randle stated his desire for a written agreement regarding the changes to be drawn up and signed by the city and OTA before ground was broken on the turnpike.

[29] Meanwhile, work began on the condemned properties, with contractors moving or demolishing houses on the affected lots from December 1989 to January 1990.

[36] Nevertheless, by April 1991, OTA's chief executive officer, Richard Ridings, described the project as "moving very well" and said "My own personal opinion is it's up to the contractors.

[38] The next section to the west, from Elm Street in Jenks to Delaware Avenue, including the Arkansas River bridge, opened the afternoon of April 15.

Forming a group called "Tulsans Against Turnpikes", around 220 citizens gathered at a meeting on February 16, 1989, to discuss the proposed toll road.

[44] In response to the boycott, Mayor Randle issued a statement accusing Tulsans Against Turnpikes of "seeking to wage economic coercion against businesses" and described their tactics as "[working] as a kind of economic blackmail to silence debate", as well as "allowing differences of opinion to degenerate into intimidation against those who have taken public stands unpopular with [Tulsans Against Turnpikes]".

Greenpeace's regional coordinator was scheduled to speak at an area library on the same day, but his appearance was canceled when the organization's bus ran out of fuel.

A local resident at the Hunter Park forum was quoted as being concerned that the turnpike may allow eastern states such as New York to ship AIDS-contaminated freight through the area.

[47] A grand jury petition, bearing over 1,400 signatures across 134 pages, was filed with the Tulsa County election board by Medlin on November 6, 1989.

[53] The vice president of the firm emphasized that the company alone bore the brunt of the estimated $10,000 (equivalent to $21,000 in 2023[17]) financial loss,[52] not OTA, and offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the prosecution of the responsible party.

[56] Tulsans Against Turnpikes, joined by an area homeowners' association, John Reidel (a homeowner whose property was condemned by OTA and had filed previous suits as early as the 1950s to stop the turnpike's construction[28]), and several other affected individuals, filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma on August 10.

[60] At a hearing on May 22, 1990, Judge Brett announced his refusal to reconsider the seven dismissed claims, ending the lawsuit, and ruled all remaining pending motions moot.

[61] Initial turnpike plans included environmental mitigation features to reduce the amount of disruption the finished road would cause to the local environment.

"[63] On July 21, 1989, OTA approved a contract to transplant approximately 290 live trees in the path of the turnpike to locations along the edge of the right-of-way.

A Norman landscaping firm performed the work, which included thirty months of maintenance, for a total cost of $288.50 per tree[64] (equivalent to $617 in 2023 dollars[17]).

Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) commented upon environmental issues pertaining to the Creek Turnpike in a 19-page letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dated February 9, 1990.

USACE was responsible for issuing three essential permits (which OTA had applied for on November 6, 1989[51]) that would allow construction to continue, and was required to consider input from the service.

[67] In response to Bellmon's criticism of the letter, Tulsans Against Turnpikes issued a public statement, saying "Running behind closed political doors like that demonstrates the governor is an environmental hypocrite," contrasting his statements with a letter he wrote assuring a constituent in Jenks that the project would be "the most aesthetically pleasing and environmentally sound facility that can be constructed".

[69] In two other letters sent in May 1990, USACE requested alterations to the project, detailing further concerns about destruction of a unique type of wetland near the turnpike's planned intersection with Yale Avenue, OTA's plan to temporarily drain Mill Creek Bridge Pond, and emergency access to homes only accessible by crossing the pond on a wooden bridge.

The corps also required "absolute assurance" that new wetlands constructed as part of the project's mitigation efforts would not be built on land that was formerly the site of a landfill.

[72] Another letter, dated June 21, 1990, was sent by FWS to USACE, reporting that at least eight interior least terns, an endangered species, had been found on a small island in the Arkansas River approximately 2,000 feet (610 m) south of the site of the proposed turnpike bridge.

[78] As a result of negotiations between Walters, other lawmakers, and OTA, the package was ultimately pared down to $675 million (about $1.26 billion in 2023 dollars[17]); among the cuts was the eastern extension of the Creek Turnpike.

[85] Construction of the portion of the highway between the eastern terminus and the Muskogee Turnpike, known as the Broken Arrow south loop, was scheduled to begin in May 1999 and be completed in January 2001.

The western extension was also over budget; OTA discovered over 100 abandoned oil wells that needed to be capped and leftover piping in the turnpike corridor.

Following a brief dedication ceremony attended by Governor Keating, Transportation Secretary McCaleb, and OTA board member Bartlett, the highway opened on December 15, 2000.

Tolls are instead paid using PikePass or PlatePay, which uses automatic licence plate recognition to send a bill to the vehicle's registered owner.