DFW Projects Thread

[BrandonC_TX]

Has anyone noticed the construction going on at the I-820/I-35W interchange in north Fort Worth?  It looks like they are adding a eastbound-to-northbound connector ramp to the I-35W express lanes, and widening the Mark IV Parkway bridge, among other things.  It is also clear that work on I-35W Segment 3C (north of US-81/287 to the Tarrant/Denton county line) has started, with noticeable construction work at the southern end of the project around Heritage Trace Parkway as well as around SH-170.

I would hope they start by making the frontage roads run all the way through south of 170 to Heritage Trace Parkway.  Everyone is forced onto 35W creating unneeded traffic jams.

Looking at these schematics, the addition of frontage roads between SH-170 and Timberland/Keller-Hicks does appear to be within the scope of this project.  I do suspect that there will be a major bottleneck where 170 traffic merges onto SB I-35W, though.  Furthermore, the new express connectors at the I-820 interchange are for EB-to-NB (entrance diverging from the existing EB I-820 to NB I-35W connector) and a new SB I-35W express lane to WB I-820 ramp.

[MaxConcrete]

Has anyone noticed the construction going on at the I-820/I-35W interchange in north Fort Worth?  It looks like they are adding a eastbound-to-northbound connector ramp to the I-35W express lanes, and widening the Mark IV Parkway bridge, among other things.  It is also clear that work on I-35W Segment 3C (north of US-81/287 to the Tarrant/Denton county line) has started, with noticeable construction work at the southern end of the project around Heritage Trace Parkway as well as around SH-170.

I just happened to drive on the 35W express lanes northbound on Sunday and took this photo of the ramp construction you mentioned.

I was surprised the see the construction, since I thought the interchange was done.

[bwana39]

Is it a toll ramp? There are toll ramps at several points in North Texas that link free portions of a freeway to either a tollway or another free freeway.

[In_Correct]

Is it a toll ramp? There are toll ramps at several points in North Texas that link free portions of a freeway to either a tollway or another free freeway.

I hope so.

[MaxConcrete]

I posted some photos of the new IH-35E collector-distributor construction in downtown Dallas
http://dfwfreeways.com/i35e-north/construction-downtown-collector

[longhorn]

I posted some photos of the new IH-35E collector-distributor construction in downtown Dallas
http://dfwfreeways.com/i35e-north/construction-downtown-collector

Whats the purpose of this project?

[MaxConcrete]

The

Whats the purpose of this project?

The purpose is to relieve congestion by reducing merging/weaving on the main lanes. While I have not driven this section regularly lately, I remember the long backups on the DNT southbound trying to get on Stemmons, and the backups going northbound. According to the traffic modelling data they released, this will drastically speed up connections on the entrances and exits in this area, including DNT and Woodall Rodgers.

[Stephane Dumas]

Google maps and OpenStreetmaps show 2 ramps of the Six Flags Texas interchange (I-30 and TX-360, that's a nickname I gived to that stack interchange) open.
https://goo.gl/maps/8ods7Gf7eyjvM8qd7
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=32.75903,-97.06362&z=17&t=M

[motorola870]

Google maps and OpenStreetmaps show 2 ramps of the Six Flags Texas interchange (I-30 and TX-360, that's a nickname I gived to that stack interchange) open.
https://goo.gl/maps/8ods7Gf7eyjvM8qd7
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=32.75903,-97.06362&z=17&t=M

The ramps have been open for some months now. Just very little progress on the other 6 ramps. Not even sure if they will meet the 2021 project goal. Right now they are in process of finishing the 360 overpass bridges over interstate 30 and they have shifted northbound 360 on to the old south bound bridge temporarily.

[Brian556]

SH 170 freeway lanes under construction I-35W to US 377. I had no idea this was in progress. The last time i was down there, which was not too long ago, there was no trace of construction. I found about it on Facebook.

Anyway, the pics show the the SH 170 freeway lanes are under construction. It boggles my mind that they would do the SH 170 freeway lanes before the SH 114 freeway lanes. The US 377/SH 114 intersection is severely congested, while SH 170 appears to have no congestion issues.

Facebook Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442313999289252

[rte66man]

In one of the photos on their Facebook page, it looks as if the southbound frontage road on 35W is finally being extended to Keller Hicks Road. Is that correct? It is BADLY needed.

[motorola870]

SH 170 freeway lanes under construction I-35W to US 377. I had no idea this was in progress. The last time i was down there, which was not too long ago, there was no trace of construction. I found about it on Facebook.

Anyway, the pics show the the SH 170 freeway lanes are under construction. It boggles my mind that they would do the SH 170 freeway lanes before the SH 114 freeway lanes. The US 377/SH 114 intersection is severely congested, while SH 170 appears to have no congestion issues.

Facebook Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442313999289252

Because the 114 mainlanes are being timed to coincidence with the I35W rebuild.

[armadillo speedbump]

No surprise, northern Tarrant County, Fort Worth, and Haslet have done a terrible job in kicking the can down the road on road projects while allowing massive housing and industrial growth.  So many fusterclucks out there, that are still years away from significant relief.  Every time I'm stuck in the bog at Westport/I-35w intersection, with it's construction narrowed and clogged no light, all way stop signs jam up, I get ragey thinking about how all the surrounding counties do a better job of this.  That's such a major truck access point for years, and increasingly so.  Didn't Haslet NIMBYism help kill off the proposed extension of 170 west of I-35?  The replacement Avondale-Haslet Rd extension to I-35w has yet to begin construction, but even if they had just built the 1/3rd of a mile section from I-35w to Harmon Rd it would have made a huge difference these days during the I-35w tollway construction.

Why couldn't they add a short section of temp turn lanes at Harmon and Bailey-Boswell Roads on the (multi-year take forever) Blue Mound Road widening project?  Would cut delays in half, at a minimum.  Filling the less than half mile Harmon Road gap south of 287, requiring no bridges and flat, would have helped.  But my favorite is the new light at the US Mint.  It's a T-intersection, so there's no left turn possible northbound.  Yet southbound traffic has to sit at an extended red after northbound gets a green.  What's the point of that?

I assume the much needed filling the gap in Heritage Trace between Blue Mound and east of 287 is waiting on the 287 upgrade project (itself much needed but still in planning, correct?), but does anyone know the schedule for the Heritage Trace grade separation at the railroad tracks west of Blue Mound?  I don't think BNSF will allow an at-grade crossing there, it is an important location for parking trains waiting to get into their Haslet railyard.

It looks like a developer is building the section west of the tracks to Wagley Robertson (or is that just pipeline construction?)  Timeline on Heritage Trace from there to Business 287?  I see construction has started on Heritage Trace west of Business 287 and a new subdivision going up halfway to Boat Club Road.

Edit:  Yeah, 114 from 170 to I-35w is in Denton County, but the major holdup on that is TXDOT, correct?

[Brian556]

No surprise, northern Tarrant County, Fort Worth, and Haslet have done a terrible job in kicking the can down the road on road projects while allowing massive housing and industrial growth.  So many fusterclucks out there, that are still years away from significant relief.  Every time I'm stuck in the bog at Westport/I-35w intersection, with it's construction narrowed and clogged no light, all way stop signs jam up, I get ragey thinking about how all the surrounding counties do a better job of this.  That's such a major truck access point for years, and increasingly so.  Didn't Haslet NIMBYism help kill off the proposed extension of 170 west of I-35?  The replacement Avondale-Haslet Rd extension to I-35w has yet to begin construction, but even if they had just built the 1/3rd of a mile section from I-35w to Harmon Rd it would have made a huge difference these days during the I-35w tollway construction.

Why couldn't they add a short section of temp turn lanes at Harmon and Bailey-Boswell Roads on the (multi-year take forever) Blue Mound Road widening project?  Would cut delays in half, at a minimum.  Filling the less than half mile Harmon Road gap south of 287, requiring no bridges and flat, would have helped.  But my favorite is the new light at the US Mint.  It's a T-intersection, so there's no left turn possible northbound.  Yet southbound traffic has to sit at an extended red after northbound gets a green.  What's the point of that?

I assume the much needed filling the gap in Heritage Trace between Blue Mound and east of 287 is waiting on the 287 upgrade project (itself much needed but still in planning, correct?), but does anyone know the schedule for the Heritage Trace grade separation at the railroad tracks west of Blue Mound?  I don't think BNSF will allow an at-grade crossing there, it is an important location for parking trains waiting to get into their Haslet railyard.

It looks like a developer is building the section west of the tracks to Wagley Robertson (or is that just pipeline construction?)  Timeline on Heritage Trace from there to Business 287?  I see construction has started on Heritage Trace west of Business 287 and a new subdivision going up halfway to Boat Club Road.

Edit:  Yeah, 114 from 170 to I-35w is in Denton County, but the major holdup on that is TXDOT, correct?

Tarrant County has always been way behind and crappier when it comes to roads and signage

[Brian556]

TxDOT has announced that they will move the exit ramp for US 380 on NB I-35 back to where the Oak St entrance ramp is now. This is to eliminate the problem of the ramp backing up on to the freeway, but will put it very close to the I-35W merge, which will likely create a new problem.

I-35E ROW clearance is progressing in Denton. The Jack-In-The Box at Loop 288 has been demolished, and so had the sign for James wood Autoplex.

[rte66man]

TxDOT has announced that they will move the exit ramp for US 380 on NB I-35 back to where the Oak St entrance ramp is now. This is to eliminate the problem of the ramp backing up on to the freeway, but will put it very close to the I-35W merge, which will likely create a new problem.

I-35E ROW clearance is progressing in Denton. The Jack-In-The Box at Loop 288 has been demolished, and so had the sign for James wood Autoplex.

I'm confused by this. Didn't they grab the necessary ROW during the last round of construction?

[motorola870]

TxDOT has announced that they will move the exit ramp for US 380 on NB I-35 back to where the Oak St entrance ramp is now. This is to eliminate the problem of the ramp backing up on to the freeway, but will put it very close to the I-35W merge, which will likely create a new problem.

I-35E ROW clearance is progressing in Denton. The Jack-In-The Box at Loop 288 has been demolished, and so had the sign for James wood Autoplex.

I'm confused by this. Didn't they grab the necessary ROW during the last round of construction?

Not all of it. They left some of it due to the objections from business owners they only did about half of the master planned project. They did not even replace the US 77 on ramp to southbound I35E on the Southside of Denton where it splits off they just raised it a little and added another set of bridge pillars.

[Stephane Dumas]

Google Streetview shown one of the 2 new ramps at the upcoming "Six Flags interchange" (I-30/TX-360). https://goo.gl/maps/L6Vo4DhkoPxHNvdB7

Edit: Google maps also updated their satellite view, they show the progress of the construction of the service roads between TX-161 to South Belt Line road. https://www.google.com/maps/@32.7597224,-97.018751,236m/data=!3m1!1e3

[-- US 175 --]

Part of the "Lowest Stemmons" project is about to open to traffic this weekend.  For those used to the longtime exit to the Dallas N. Tollway from NB I-35E, the offramp there is going away in favor of a new one further south by the Woodall Rodgers interchange and Continental exit.  This complicates things for drivers WB on Woodall Rodgers that want to exit to NB I-35E and head for the Tollway ramp.  Those folks will have to go on north to the Oak Lawn exit, then turn right, then back left at the next signal.  That will get them onto the Tollway.

Oh what fun.

https://dallas.culturemap.com/news/city-life/05-19-21-tollway-new-ramp/

[bassoon1986]

MaxConcrete do you or anyone know if there are still plans to extend George Bush Turnpike south from I-30 to I-20 in the Forney area?


iPhone

[TXtoNJ]

SH 170 freeway lanes under construction I-35W to US 377. I had no idea this was in progress. The last time i was down there, which was not too long ago, there was no trace of construction. I found about it on Facebook.

Anyway, the pics show the the SH 170 freeway lanes are under construction. It boggles my mind that they would do the SH 170 freeway lanes before the SH 114 freeway lanes. The US 377/SH 114 intersection is severely congested, while SH 170 appears to have no congestion issues.

Facebook Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442313999289252

Bet you a bottle of Coke that FedEx, UPS, and Amazon have something to do with 170 being prioritized there.

[bwana39]

SH 170 freeway lanes under construction I-35W to US 377. I had no idea this was in progress. The last time i was down there, which was not too long ago, there was no trace of construction. I found about it on Facebook.

Anyway, the pics show the the SH 170 freeway lanes are under construction. It boggles my mind that they would do the SH 170 freeway lanes before the SH 114 freeway lanes. The US 377/SH 114 intersection is severely congested, while SH 170 appears to have no congestion issues.

Facebook Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442313999289252

Bet you a bottle of Coke that FedEx, UPS, and Amazon have something to do with 170 being prioritized there.

Sort of... Alliance is the point they are doing it for. For Tarrant County, maximizing access to and from Alliance is clearly their top priority outside of downtown Fort Worth.

Yes, the major shippers make Alliance including the Airport a key to developing Tarrant County.

[bwana39]

Part of the "Lowest Stemmons" project is about to open to traffic this weekend.  For those used to the longtime exit to the Dallas N. Tollway from NB I-35E, the offramp there is going away in favor of a new one further south by the Woodall Rodgers interchange and Continental exit.  This complicates things for drivers WB on Woodall Rodgers that want to exit to NB I-35E and head for the Tollway ramp.  Those folks will have to go on north to the Oak Lawn exit, then turn right, then back left at the next signal.  That will get them onto the Tollway.

Oh what fun.

https://dallas.culturemap.com/news/city-life/05-19-21-tollway-new-ramp/

You are right that Woodall Rogers to DNT is kind of a bad deal, but I-45 traffic can take  I-30 to I-35E and then get on the northbound DNT. From US-75 (and maybe I-45) it is probably as good or better to take US-75 to I-635 then take DNT to northwest Plano or Frisco.
The only people it will really affect are the ones who work in mid-town and want to take DNT. They probably would be better served taking Harry Hines Blvd to DNT anyway. Downtown could use Commerce to I-35E.

[-- US 175 --]

Part of the "Lowest Stemmons" project is about to open to traffic this weekend.  For those used to the longtime exit to the Dallas N. Tollway from NB I-35E, the offramp there is going away in favor of a new one further south by the Woodall Rodgers interchange and Continental exit.  This complicates things for drivers WB on Woodall Rodgers that want to exit to NB I-35E and head for the Tollway ramp.  Those folks will have to go on north to the Oak Lawn exit, then turn right, then back left at the next signal.  That will get them onto the Tollway.

Oh what fun.

https://dallas.culturemap.com/news/city-life/05-19-21-tollway-new-ramp/

Another phase of the fun begins this weekend, with the relocation of the SB I-35E ramp to Woodall Rodgers Freeway.  This replacement will be further north, in the vicinity of Hi Line Drive and south of Oak Lawn.

https://dallas.culturemap.com/news/city-life/05-27-21-woodall-rogers-tollway-southbound-exit-ramp/

[longhorn]

Any pictures of the area? Curious how they tied in the new ramp into the present one while keeping it operational.