Tim Gatz, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) executive director, will retire at the end of October after entering his 37th year with the agency.

Gatz announced his departure at a Monday, Oct. 5, meeting of the Oklahoma Transportation Commission, as first reported by The Oklahoman.

"I have decided that it's time for me to step down as director of the Department of Transportation at the end of October," Gatz told commissioners. "I'm entering my 37th year. I've grown up in this agency and it's incredibly important to me."

No successor has been named.

Gatz's tenure shaped Oklahoma City's highway network. He oversaw the rebuilding of Interstate 235 and Interstate 40 through the metro area and led improvements along Route 66, according to The Oklahoman. He also launched ACCESS Oklahoma, a 15-year, $8.2 billion expansion of the state's toll road system that has drawn opposition from property owners and activist groups since its announcement.

Parts of that program remain contested. The Norman City Council on Aug. 25 rejected interchanges tied to the ACCESS South Extension Turnpike, forcing the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) to drop them from the design, Oklahoma Voice reported. A federal lawsuit filed by the group Pike Off OTA also challenges the program's East-West Connector project, seeking additional environmental reviews, according to KOCO.

Gatz once held three titles at the same time: Secretary of Transportation, ODOT executive director and OTA executive director. Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued an opinion that Gatz could not hold all three posts simultaneously, forcing him to resign the secretary and turnpike roles. The Oklahoma Supreme Court overturned that opinion in 2025, and Gov. Kevin Stitt reappointed Gatz as transportation secretary, according to The Oklahoman.

His exit adds to a wave of cabinet-level departures under Stitt. Energy and Environmental Secretary Jeff Starling stepped down Oct. 3 after losing a Republican primary for attorney general. Secretary of State Josh Cockroft and Education Secretary Nellie Sanders both resigned in October 2025, The Oklahoman reported.

On the same day Gatz announced his retirement, ODOT released its 2027–2034 construction work plan. The plan covers more than 1,200 highway and bridge projects valued at more than $7.3 billion, including further improvements at the I-35 and I-240 interchange in Oklahoma City, according to an ODOT press release. The agency cited inflation and rising construction costs as constraints on meeting the state's infrastructure needs.

No public statement from Stitt's office on Gatz's retirement or a successor timeline appeared in available records as of Tuesday, Oct. 6.