Driving in far north Fort Worth just got quicker with the opening of this new road project
There’s good news for Fort Worth motorists doomed to contend with traffic on Interstate 35W.
The 10-year project to widen Interstate 35W north of downtown Fort Worth is complete with the opening Tuesday of new lanes in the project’s final phase.
The last segment of the project, a 6.7-mile span between U.S. 287 and Eagle Parkway, began construction in 2020 and was completed three months ahead of schedule. It cost $910 million.
This segment spans 6.7 miles between Eagle Parkway and U.S. 287. The project included the reconstruction of the main lanes, expanded frontage roads and the addition of two TEXpress lanes in each direction.
In 2020, when construction of this phase of the project began, this stretch of road was the most congested in Texas, according to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. It now ranks 32.
North Tarrant Express Mobility Partners provided most of the funding for the project, in exchange for the right to collect tolls for about five decades. The project’s toll depend on traffic conditions; more congestion means higher rates.
Next on the road improvement agenda is a project to widen the Loop 820/Texas 121/183 Airport Freeway corridor. This corridor is also among the most congested in the state.
A general purpose lane will be added in each direction on Northeast Loop 820, from I-35W to the Airport Freeway interchange. Airport Freeway will get a TEXPress lane in each direction, from the interchange to Industrial Boulevard in Euless, said Robert Hinkle, director of corporate affairs and communications at North Tarrant Express Mobility Partners.
“The corridor was designed and built to be ready for this added capacity, so it won’t take as long,” said Hinkle.
Construction could begin as early as this winter. The project is expected to cost about $350 million and will be funded by toll lane revenue.
Texas Department of Transportation is also planning to rebuild a 10-mile stretch of Interstate 35W, from just north of I-20 in Fort Worth to just south of Texas 174 in Burleson.
This story was originally published June 20, 2023 at 3:26 PM.
