DFW Projects Thread

[MaxConcrete]

Photos from Friday, April 10

[txstateends]

The LBJexpress project on I-635 between I-35E and US 75 now is announcing completion by September 10.  It had initially announced a potential finish by December of this year.

http://transportationblog.dallasnews.com/2015/08/new-lbj-freeway-will-open-to-drivers-sept-10.html/

[Guysdrive780]

The LBJexpress project on I-635 between I-35E and US 75 now is announcing completion by September 10.  It had initially announced a potential finish by December of this year.

http://transportationblog.dallasnews.com/2015/08/new-lbj-freeway-will-open-to-drivers-sept-10.html/

I kind of knew it would open early. Looking at the project videos they looked like they are almost done

[txstateends]

http://transportationblog.dallasnews.com/2015/08/ntta-expanding-toll-roads-in-dallas-denton-collin-counties.html/

The NTTA is (and will be) adding a lane each way to these Dallas-area tollroad sections.

Current work:
* Bush Turnpike, Dallas N. Tollway to US 75
* Dallas N. Tollway, Bush Turnpike to TX 121-Sam Rayburn Tollway

Pre-construction bidding:
* Bush Turnpike, I-35E to Dallas N. Tollway
* Bush Turnpike, US 75 to TX 78
* Dallas N. Tollway, I-635 to Bush Turnpike (don't know how they'll pull this one off without narrowing the existing lanes and doing away with the precious-little median and shoulder spots there are)

Pre-construction environmental engineering work:
* TX 121-Sam Rayburn Tollway, Bus TX 121 to US 75


Also, the NTTA will be contributing $$$$ toward the cost of redoing the US 75/Bush Turnpike interchange.

[txstateends]

http://transportationblog.dallasnews.com/2015/08/with-first-mcdermott-arch-done-new-dallas-skyline-takes-shape.html/

The middle/last piece of the first arch on the Margaret McDermott bridge on I-30 west of downtown Dallas went up earlier today.

[txstateends]

http://transportationblog.dallasnews.com/2015/09/txdot-warns-of-major-traffic-shift-on-eb-i-30-near-downtown-dallas-starting-saturday.html/

I-30 EB approaching downtown will get lane-shifted beginning this Saturday.  Included in the fun will be new right-exit ramps to all exits off I-30 to I-35E NB and SB and local/downtown streets.  No more left-exit for I-35E's NB exit.

Nice YT video included from KXAS/5, a nice wide helicopter tour along I-30 approaching downtown including the Horseshoe project construction (which has 2 more years to go, BTW), finishing with a great wide look at downtown and Uptown-Victory.  There's no voiceover or sound included with the vid.

[txstateends]

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/transportation/20150905-lbj-freeways-new-managed-toll-lanes-open-thursday-heres-how-to-navigate-them.ece

This Thursday, the new managed (toll) lanes on I-635 in north Dallas will open.  There are 3 pix of the completed sections and a map/chart on how everything will connect, included in the article (sorry, I'm not on a computer where I can do cut/paste on many things).

[MaxConcrete]

Photos of LBJ. The toll lanes open tomorrow

Roadside views showing the newly rebuilt regular lanes and the managed lanes
http://dfwfreeways.com/i635/roadside-lbj-express

Driving views
http://dfwfreeways.com/i635/driving


Managed Lanes at Midway Road.


Regular lanes and managed lanes looking east at Rosser Road.
 

[TXtoNJ]

Most impressive facility in the country, IMO. Wish the Katy Freeway reconstruction had been half as well engineered as this one.

[MaxConcrete]

Most impressive facility in the country, IMO. Wish the Katy Freeway reconstruction had been half as well engineered as this one.

There's nothing else like it in the United States, as far as I know. But the complexity probably added around $1 billion to the cost as opposed to going wider like the Katy Freeway. Personally, I prefer a super-wide right-of-way at ground level like the Katy Freeway.

I'm actively involved with TxDOT in the public involvement phase of Houston's planned massive downtown rebuild and I-45 north rebuild. It will have some heavily engineered sections around downtown and North Main -- and the expected price tag is around $6 billion.
http://www.houstonfreeways.com/analysis

[Brian556]

Concerning the Westbound I-635 connections to I-35E:

It looks like the I-35E toll lanes are emphasized over the free lanes, with the exit for the toll lanes coming before the exit for the free lanes, and especially the fact that 3 lanes exit to the toll lanes, but only one lane exits to the NB I-35E free lanes, despite that being a high-volume movement.

I'm not accusing them of doing this with the ramp for the toll lanes coming first, because that was more out of necessity However, it looks to me like they have too many exit lanes for TOLL I-35E. I don't think they really need three. Also, this is inconvenient for WB I-635 drivers to have to move over two lanes in heavy traffic to avoid exiting into the I-35E TOLL Lanes.

It will be interesting to see just how much traffic uses the I-35E TOLL Lanes, and whether three exit lanes to them is really justified.

Concerning the signage...the wording around the I-35E TOLL shield is too small and not legible. It's odd that the top panel is green and says "EXPRESS LANES", but on BGS for other toll roads, including the DNT just a few miles prior, the top panel is yellow, and reads "TOLL ROAD", which better informs drivers of the toll.

The way this signage is laid out, drivers could easily not realize this exit is for the toll lanes.




Otherwise, you gotta admit this is pretty cool. It's like having two freeways on top of each other.
The concrete slopes on either side of the toll lanes would look pretty cool with water flowing over them in a thin sheet, like a spillway. After that thought, my mind went to a the earthquake ride at one of the Orlando theme parks (forget which one) where it simulated being on a subway during an earthquake, and water pours in.

[txstateends]

More about today's reveal of the I-635 redo:

http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20150909-editorial-zippier-glitzier-version-of-lbj-needs-its-own-instruction-manual.ece

An open house was held last night at the Wyndham Garden hotel near I-635/Josey:

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2015/09/08/lbj-express-holding-public-open-house-today/

[Rothman]

I'd hate to be TxDOT when all that is ready for replacement in the future.  Going over/under like that sets them up for the troubles NY has been having with its aging urban viaducts currently.  It's nice they were able to handle the construction costs and tolls will probably help, but it'll still probably cause headaches when the time comes.

Always nice to kick the can down the road a generation or two.

[longhorn]

Are they going to paint the columns or leave them cement white? It is an engineering feat, I remember when first proposed, I could not grasp what they were envisioning.

This is what needs to happen to I-35 going through downtown Austin.

[Henry]

You know, having elevated toll lanes over the free ones is not a bad idea at all! I agree, I-35 in Austin could use a similar treatment.

[TXtoNJ]

Most impressive facility in the country, IMO. Wish the Katy Freeway reconstruction had been half as well engineered as this one.

There's nothing else like it in the United States, as far as I know. But the complexity probably added around $1 billion to the cost as opposed to going wider like the Katy Freeway. Personally, I prefer a super-wide right-of-way at ground level like the Katy Freeway.

I'm actively involved with TxDOT in the public involvement phase of Houston's planned massive downtown rebuild and I-45 north rebuild. It will have some heavily engineered sections around downtown and North Main -- and the expected price tag is around $6 billion.
http://www.houstonfreeways.com/analysis

Been keeping up with your work on HAIF - enjoying it thoroughly.

I get where you're coming from on I-10 - I just hate every morning having to deal with the massive weaving issues that create backups all along the route, due to the half-implemented express lane setup and excess number/proximity of entrance ramps. The LBJ seems to address the first of these concerns through the multi-level design that allows for right-on right-off express lane access.

[rantanamo]

Are they going to paint the columns or leave them cement white? It is an engineering feat, I remember when first proposed, I could not grasp what they were envisioning.

This is what needs to happen to I-35 going through downtown Austin.

I would guess below ground stays white while above ground has the Dallas beige treatment.  The NTTA seems to have adopted the new white look since the east portion of PGBT.

[Anthony_JK]

Are they going to paint the columns or leave them cement white? It is an engineering feat, I remember when first proposed, I could not grasp what they were envisioning.

This is what needs to happen to I-35 going through downtown Austin.

I'm seriously wondering whether this could work for I-10 through Baton Rouge as well....though it would be a bit different since the latter would remain at grade rather than sunken below.

[dfwtbear]

I wonder if the lengthy bridges from the 635 project will be very problematic in the winter.

[TXtoNJ]

I wonder if the lengthy bridges from the 635 project will be very problematic in the winter.

Dallas only gets icy weather for about two weeks a year, so it won't be too much of a problem.

[Henry]

Are they going to paint the columns or leave them cement white? It is an engineering feat, I remember when first proposed, I could not grasp what they were envisioning.

This is what needs to happen to I-35 going through downtown Austin.

I'm seriously wondering whether this could work for I-10 through Baton Rouge as well....though it would be a bit different since the latter would remain at grade rather than sunken below.

I was thinking the same thing for the Downtown Connector in Atlanta! Most of that freeway is at grade itself, and building a bridge high enough to avoid disrupting the cross streets will be a challenge due to its nature, although I think tunneling underground would be more expensive.

[Alex]

Justin drove the new LBJ Express lanes this morning and passed along some photos to me today. I posted some of them on the AARoads FB page: https://www.facebook.com/aaroads/posts/10153668828282948

[noelbotevera]

Holding the phone here for a second, what about Project Pegasus? Will I-30, I-35E, and I-45 be reconstructed? Project Pegasus is a dead plan now, and TXDOT planned to finish it by September 2010. Uh oh.

[Guysdrive780]

Project Pegasus still exist. Its just in smaller segments. Like the Horseshoe Project

[Alex4897]

After that thought, my mind went to a the earthquake ride at one of the Orlando theme parks (forget which one) where it simulated being on a subway during an earthquake, and water pours in.

Disaster Studios in Universal Studios perhaps?  That was always a fun attraction, it closed abut four days ago for good though.  It's been demoed to make way for a Fast and Furious attraction.