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Sam Rayburn Tollway extension?

Started by Road Hog, December 30, 2016, 07:12:00 PM

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Road Hog

I've brought it up before as being problematic for several reasons, but I've decided an eastern extension of the Sam Rayburn Tollway is needed to relieve congestion on US 380 and serve a rapidly-growing area of Collin County that's getting overlooked. No NTTA plans actually exist that I'm aware of and the topic has hardly been brought up outside of this board, so if you want to classify this as fictional, so be it. But it's coming.

First, the need for it. Princeton is a community that is exploding and outgrowing its connections, the only one of which at the moment is the four-lane US 380. The traffic volume naturally is already bad and will soon become horrendous. Commuters presently have to either follow bumper-to-bumper traffic on 380 to get on 75, or cut down Airport Drive to Industrial Blvd./Eldorado Parkway and/or then follow SH 5/Spur 399 to 75. Princeton High School next year will be a 5A school, which if you follow sports in Texas, means it'll be a pretty big school. Faster access to McKinney's airport, which is growing in stature, will also be a boon.

Now, the problems. The path I've picked for it is largely undeveloped now, but the longer it gets delayed, the more development gets in the way. The path also crosses a couple of creek and river bottoms that will have environmental ramifications. (As you can see, I've routed the SRT extension along the already-existing FM 546 corridor across the East Fork bottoms.) Then there is the general opposition to tolls that's growing in Texas. Finally, NTTA has a lot of irons in the fire and the project queue is already lengthy.



Bobby5280

The East end of the Sam Rayburn Tollway is blocked in with development. US-380 between McKinney and Denton is too filled in with development for any freeway quality upgrade to be practical. The Colin County Outer Loop and Dallas North Tollway extension are the best hopes for additional freeway quality traffic relief in that area.

Road Hog

Quote from: Bobby5280 on December 30, 2016, 07:29:23 PM
The East end of the Sam Rayburn Tollway is blocked in with development. US-380 between McKinney and Denton is too filled in with development for any freeway quality upgrade to be practical. The Colin County Outer Loop and Dallas North Tollway extension are the best hopes for additional freeway quality traffic relief in that area.

We're talking east of 75, not west. West of here the ship has obviously sailed on a 380 expansion to freeway quality. And I'm not even talking about 380 east, just a better, more direct route for commuters. East of 75 there's still a smidgen of opportunity.

MaxConcrete

#3
Efforts are underway to try to turn US 380 into a freeway (or a tollway). The plan would include a north bypass around McKinney.

https://communityimpact.com/dallas-fort-worth/city-county/2016/10/18/county-officials-us-380-route-around-mckinney-new-major-roadway-east-us-75-future-possibilities/

This is part of the Collin County Roadway action plan. The plan has received substantial funding in the 10-year project plan approved this month by NCTCOG. So don't give up hope for the new Collin County freeways, officials are doing everything possible to make them happen. Of course, if they had begun efforts 10 or 20 years ago, it would have been much easier.

The 10-year plan also has $70 million for Spur 5, which appears to be at the northeast terminus of the SRT, although the descriptions of the location and planned work are unclear.

http://www.nctcog.org/trans/committees/rtc/2016/12Dec/Ref.Itm_4.2.rtc120816.pdf

New north south freeway: $200 million
Outer loop: $150 million
US 380 (including McKinney bypass): $252 million

These funds are probably enough to buy substantial right-of-way and get the projects actually in motion.
www.DFWFreeways.com
www.HoustonFreeways.com

NE2

pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

Bobby5280

#5
Quote from: Bobby5280The East end of the Sam Rayburn Tollway is blocked in with development. US-380 between McKinney and Denton is too filled in with development for any freeway quality upgrade to be practical. The Colin County Outer Loop and Dallas North Tollway extension are the best hopes for additional freeway quality traffic relief in that area.
Quote from: Road HogWe're talking east of 75, not west. West of here the ship has obviously sailed on a 380 expansion to freeway quality. And I'm not even talking about 380 east, just a better, more direct route for commuters. East of 75 there's still a smidgen of opportunity.

Yeah, I'm talking about where the SRT and TX-121 moves into McKinney just East of US-75. It would be tricky extending the toll road through there and out of the East side of McKinney. Just about the only possible shot would be immediately past the Medical Center Drive exit, the last exit of the roadway. Some properties would have to be taken and the road would have to veer South a bit to miss the airport property. If some of the other highway project concepts come to pass this one might be a bit superfluous.

Quote from: MaxConcreteEfforts are underway to try to turn US 380 into a freeway (or a tollway). The plan would include a north bypass around McKinney.

I thought the path of the Colin County Outer Loop a few miles North of US-380 was going to serve as the super highway link between Denton and McKinney. Upgrading US-380 itself to a freeway between the two cities looks like it will be a difficult and costly task. New businesses and housing developments are popping up on the edge of the existing road. A big new school has been getting built at the corner of Navo Road and US-380. For a freeway to run through there a lot of fairly brand new buildings will have to be bought and demolished.

Road Hog

Edited the OP because I realized I linked from my email and nobody else could see the selected path for my proposed extension.

Road Hog

Quote from: Bobby5280 on December 30, 2016, 11:25:58 PM
Quote from: Bobby5280The East end of the Sam Rayburn Tollway is blocked in with development. US-380 between McKinney and Denton is too filled in with development for any freeway quality upgrade to be practical. The Colin County Outer Loop and Dallas North Tollway extension are the best hopes for additional freeway quality traffic relief in that area.
Quote from: Road HogWe're talking east of 75, not west. West of here the ship has obviously sailed on a 380 expansion to freeway quality. And I'm not even talking about 380 east, just a better, more direct route for commuters. East of 75 there's still a smidgen of opportunity.

Yeah, I'm talking about where the SRT and TX-121 moves into McKinney just East of US-75. It would be tricky extending the toll road through there and out of the East side of McKinney. Just about the only possible shot would be immediately past the Medical Center Drive exit, the last exit of the roadway. Some properties would have to be taken and the road would have to veer South a bit to miss the airport property. If some of the other highway project concepts come to pass this one might be a bit superfluous.

Quote from: MaxConcreteEfforts are underway to try to turn US 380 into a freeway (or a tollway). The plan would include a north bypass around McKinney.

I thought the path of the Colin County Outer Loop a few miles North of US-380 was going to serve as the super highway link between Denton and McKinney. Upgrading US-380 itself to a freeway between the two cities looks like it will be a difficult and costly task. New businesses and housing developments are popping up on the edge of the existing road. A big new school has been getting built at the corner of Navo Road and US-380. For a freeway to run through there a lot of fairly brand new buildings will have to be bought and demolished.

The Collin County Outer Loop will more serve as a future link between Sanger and Anna. Denton and McKinney are so yesterday's news.



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