Southbound I-35W toll lane closed for Fort Worth pileup investigation. When will it open?
Motorists may want to continue avoiding Interstate 35W, where six people were killed in a 133-car pileup north of downtown Fort Worth, for the rest of the coming weekend.
The TEXPress toll lanes of southbound I-35W remained closed while the nontoll main lanes reopened around 5 p.m. Friday as the investigation and cleanup of the chain-reaction crash continued. Also, several lane closures unrelated to the mass casualty crash are scheduled up and down the I-35W corridor this weekend, weather permitting.
For example, even after the investigation is completed and southbound I-35W is re-opened, that stretch of roadway is expected to again close from 9 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday, and 9 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday for routine maintenance. Traffic will be detoured to Blue Mound Road.
“Closures are subject to weather conditions, and construction activities may be postponed if necessary,” Tommy Williamson, spokesman for North Tarrant Express Mobility Partners, the company that maintains I-35W for the state, said in an email.
The National Weather Service has warned of five days of extraordinarily cold and potentially icy weather, with the forecast calling for a chance of icy drizzle to begin as soon as 1 p.m. Saturday — and a very good chance for a large accumulation of snowfall Sunday through Wednesday.
Throughout the Fort Worth and Arlington areas, motorists are urged to be on the lookout for deicing crews, who will patrol the highways and treat icy spots as needed.
Earlier this week, state maintenance crews began pre-treating roadways with a liquid brine, to prevent ice from forming.
“As temperatures and precipitation fluctuate, ice on bridges and overpasses continue to be a concern,” Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Val Lopez said in an email earlier this week. “Drivers are also urged to remain aware of the potential for black ice.”
Throughout the weekend, other periodic lane closures along the I-35W corridor could include:
▪ Any of the main lanes in both directions between downtown Fort Worth and the Tarrant-Denton County line.
▪ The I-35W TEXPress toll lanes, in both directions.
▪ Ramps to Texas 170.
▪ Frontage roads.
This story was originally published February 12, 2021 at 5:03 PM.
