The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is hereby authorized and empowered to acquire by purchase, or condemnation, land or such interest therein as in its discretion may be necessary for the purpose of establishing, constructing, maintaining and operating turnpike projects or relocation thereof, and facilities necessary and incident thereto, or necessary in the restoration of public or private property damaged or destroyed, including borrow areas, detours, channel changes, concession areas, public or private access roads, and deposits of rock, gravel, sand and other road building material for use in turnpike construction and maintenance, upon such terms and at such price as may be considered by it to be reasonable and can be agreed upon between the Authority and the owner thereof, and to take title thereto in the name of the Authority, provided, that such right and title shall be limited to the surface rights only and shall not include oil or other mineral rights. Groundwater rights may be severed from surface rights, upon the written request of the owner of land to be acquired; however, an owner of groundwater rights shall not have a right of access to the Authority's acquired surface rights. No person may construct, maintain or operate any water well, drilling equipment or lines on or under the surface acquired by the Authority without express written approval of the Authority.
Added by Laws 1968, c. 415, § 1707, operative July 1, 1968. Amended by Laws 2018, c. 50, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2018.