Construction on this clogged stretch of Interstate 35W expected to finish next week

A 10-year project to widen Interstate 35W north of downtown Fort Worth is nearing completion — and ahead of schedule.

Improved lanes, express toll roads and some new frontage roads are scheduled to open June 20 on the stretch between U.S. 287 and Eagle Parkway. Work was originally scheduled to be complete late this year.

The 18-mile stretch of North Tarrant Expressway, from Interstate 30 to Eagle Parkway, cost more than $2.6 billion. The portion from downtown to Heritage Trace Parkway was completed in 2018.

The NTE will host a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The final segment adds four TEXpress toll lanes and 7.2 miles of new road.

The stretch of road was the most congested roadway in Texas when construction started in 2020, but now ranks 32nd. Almost 300,000 vehicles use I-35W per day between downtown and Eagle Parkway.

The project is a public-private partnership from North Tarrant Express Mobility Partners. The TEXpress lanes charge toll rates based on traffic conditions, with higher rates during congested times.

The project was largely privately funded, with NTE Mobility Partners providing much of the financing in exchange for the rights to collect toll revenues for about five decades.

This story was originally published June 12, 2023 at 1:39 PM.