ARLINGTON -- The state plans to finish an overnight construction project on Texas 360 a few hours before Saturday's first pitch between the Rangers and Tigers in the ALCS.
Baseball fans better hope TxDOT is as consistent as ARod's strikeout ratio with the playoffs on the line.It was the hated former Rangers' whiff Thursday night that ended the Yankees' playoff hopes (just like in Arlington last season) and sent the first game of the American League Championship Series to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.The Texas Department of Transportation had already announced plans to shut down Texas 360 at Division Street -- a major access point for Rangers Ballpark -- from 8 p.m. Friday until 3 p.m. Saturday.It's part of an ongoing freeway construction project, and the closure is necessary so that crews can hang bridge beams.Such a major freeway closure likely would cause massive congestion on other roads to the ballpark, including Interstate 30 and Collins Street. Rangers playoff games typically draw close to 50,000 fans.On top of that, pop/country sensation Taylor Swift is scheduled to play a concert Saturday next door to the ballpark at Cowboys Stadium -- and Division Street is a popular route to that facility, too.Despite all that, the Transportation Department is planning to go ahead with the closure.Saturday's first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Saturday."We've committed to maneuver around whatever game pops up," department spokesman Val Lopez said. "We're thinking it should be done before the game starts. We're prepared to work around it. In this part of the Metroplex, we're not unused to working around large events. We could work very hard to get ourselves out of there before the event is started."Why not wait until another weekend to close the freeway? Well, that could throw the $56 million highway project off schedule, Lopez said. Besides, who's to say the defending American League champion Rangers -- with their eyes on the prospect of another World Series appearance -- won't be playing again next weekend, or the weekend after that?Then November comes, and the weather becomes less certain -- inviting more delays. In short, in a region with about 6 million people, there's never a good time to close a freeway.Either way, motorists are urged to avoid Texas 360.Detours will be posted. Northbound traffic will exit at Abram Street and divert to Great Southwest Parkway. Southbound traffic will exit at Division Street, to Stadium Drive.It's part of a $56 million project that includes construction of a new Division Street/Texas 360 interchange, Union Pacific Railroad bridge, continuous frontage roads and improved freeway ramps. Completion is expected by summer.Gordon Dickson, 817-390-7796
Texas 360 road closure Oct. 7-9 weekend (pdf)
Rangers lots open at 2, Cowboys at 4 for game, concert
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