What was once a resting stop and place to fill the gas tank is now a solid pad.
The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority maintenance men began demolition on the old EZ-Go building on the Turner Turnpike just past the Chandler exit.
What’s left of the gas station is just a solid foundation.
OTA Director of Communications Jack Damrill said the owner of the old EZ-GO had to meet certain requirements made by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and Corporation Commission before they could move forward with the property.
“There’s a lot of requirements he had to go through before he could officially vacate,” Damrill said. “He was officially out around June 22 or 23, in that time frame.”
Damrill said the tanks weren’t leaking and nothing was contaminated.
“They found no problems with the soil around those gas tanks,” he said. “Once that happens we go in and take the building down.”
Damrill said it won’t take long to remove the building, then they will work on removing the asphalt and ramps.
“It will be a portion of our right of way,” he said. “We’re not putting anything there.”
Damrill said usually the OTA likes to turn the land that they don’t need back to the city or county, so it can be placed back on the tax roll. However, Damrill said nothing will go where the little service area was for safety purposes.
“We’re not going to take out that gas station to put something back there for people to stop because it was not safe,” he said. “We’re not going back with anything.”
Chandler City Manager James Melson said the city is working with the OTA to see if they can gain control of the property.