Texas Stadium is being replaced with a new Dallas Cowboys stadium opening later this year in a suburb further west. The old stadium opened in 1971 and with it a flurry of freeways and ramps designed to allow for traffic to and from the venue. As the stadium grew up, so did Irving, the suburb surrounding it. Traffic volumes on the freeways surrounding the stadium area grew and grew and now offer gridlock for most of the day. The junctions around the stadium are sub-par by Dallas standards and feature very short merge lanes, loop ramps, and signalized intersections between some freeway ramps. In short, it’s the worst freeway design in the DFW area.
Because of the new stadium, Texas Stadium is set to be demolished and the site re-developed at some point. TxDot is using this opportunity to upgrade all of the freeways surrounding the old site. Groundbreaking took place on October 28, 2008 for a new set of stack interchanges to replace the varied old loop ramps. Today, the city of Irving agreed to lease the stadium site to the DOT for 10 years and $15.4 million. TxDot will use the stadium site as a staging area for the construction of the stacks. Additionally, while the new junctions are being constructed the local transit agency, DART, will construct the Orange Line (the region’s 5th main light rail line) through the weaving ramps. The project is set to cost more than half a billion dollars, and has already been budgeted through 2010. It’s set to open in 2011, although some ramps will be open sooner.
Take a look at the junctions now, on google maps, and below the TxDot schematics for the new junctions. Click the smaller image for a larger one.
https://www.aaroads.com/Justin/txstadsmall.jpg
It is about high time they fix that. State Highway 183 at Loop 12 has been a joke for years and is the Metroplex’s worst interchange. It’s time something finally got done.
Can’t agree with your more about Dallas horrendous traffic patterns. However, you should visit Arlington now that I-30 is being widened, existing exit ramps are being revamped, new ones being built all to accomodate traffic flow to and from the new Stadium, none of it anywhere near completion and a George Straight concert planned for June 6th. Just the opening day of the Rangers Ball game with 36,000 in attendance caused near gridlock. Residents on the north and east side of town are advised to stay at home on event days. BTW, with a population pushing 400,000 Arlington does not now nor ever did consider itself a suburb. As for that Stadium, no one I know voted for it and resent having to pay to finance a million/billionair’s boyhood fantasy. Irving is most welcome to take him and them back.