DFW: NCTCOG approves funding for SH 170 west extension

[MaxConcrete]

The extension of SH 170 west of IH35W has been proposed and studied for a while. In today's action, the regional planning council (NCTCOG) approved the final piece of funding to get the initial phase built. For those not familiar, this is in north Fort Worth just south of Alliance Airport.

On the meeting agenda, see item 5.1. It is called the Avondale-Haslet Road/Haslet Parkway/Intermodal Parkway and total funding is $34.9 million.
https://www.nctcog.org/nctcg/media/Transportation/Committees/RTC/2019/agenda-packet-apr.pdf?ext=.pdf

More information is available in the video for item 5 starting at 5:55. According to the presentation, it will be built in a frontage road configuration with long-term plans for freeway lanes and a managed lane. The presenter suggests that the frontage road configuration could include some overpasses. It sounds like it will proceed to construction soon. However, $34.9 million might be sufficient for only around 3 miles if both sides of the frontage roads are built.

https://nctcog.swagit.com/play/04112019-1067

On a related note, the document also has the latest proposed 10-year plan. On page 270 there is $150 million slated for SH 170 main lanes east of IH 35W. However, construction date is listed as TBD.

[Bobby5280]

I guess the ultimate plan would be to extend TX-170 (Alliance Gateway Freeway) from I-35W to US-287. I would still prefer to see TX-114 upgraded into a freeway to US-287 at Rhome. There's lots of growth going on in that region. In the long term freeway upgrades on both corridors appear likely and necessary.

[In_Correct]

34.9 Million ought to complete 10 miles of S.H. 170. 150 million ought to complete both S.H. 170 and part of S.H. 114.

If they are going to include a managed lane, but it would be nicer if there was more managed lanes.

The R.O.W. needs to include space for future Interchanges.

[Bobby5280]

I'm not a fan at all of express/toll lanes which have only a single lane. One reason: if you pay extra to use that single express lane you run a considerable risk of being stuck behind some slow poke you cannot pass. It ends up ruining the whole "express" concept. Express/toll lanes don't always run at a higher speed limit than the "free" gas tax-funded lanes, so if you paid extra to use an express single lane that doesn't let you go any faster the toll once again turns into a waste of money.

I think TxDOT needs to put a much higher priority on expanding capacity on the gas tax-funded lanes and then only add express/toll lanes if the "free" lanes are running at least 3 or 4 lanes in each direction. The 2-2T-2T-2 configuration on I-820 is silly. A traditional freeway 12 lanes wide could fit in the same space. And now we're seeing highway segments in DFW that run 2-1T-1T-2. That's even more absurd.

I think the bare minimum for express/toll lanes should be at least 2 lanes in each direction. At least give people who are paying extra the ability to pass a slow poke. If there isn't room for that then make one toll carriageway that is reversible with 2 or 3 lanes.

But really an American super highway doesn't have much business adding "Lexus lanes" to the road if there isn't already enough room for 3 or 4 "free" lanes in each direction too. The express/toll lanes don't always have to be built down the center median of the highway either. The "toller-coaster" in metro Atlanta on I-75 from the Perimeter on NW up to I-575 runs on the Western side of the main lanes and even has exits that are different from the main lanes. It's an interesting road. The 2-lane road is reversible. The only downside is the speed limit can't be all that fast due to some of the odd geometry.