DFW Projects Thread

[05danper42842]

New TxDot Meeting for Dallas Resident and Mesquite Residents

Materials will be posted July 11, and it will be in person and online.
Meeting Link

[Stephane Dumas]

Note then I-20 will have continue service roads where it meet US-67 between Cockrell Hill Road and East Kirnwood Drive from what I see on these satellite shots.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/X5d4cv73xK7vyx4CA

[-- US 175 --]

Note then I-20 will have continue service roads where it meet US-67 between Cockrell Hill Road and East Kirnwood Drive from what I see on these satellite shots.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/X5d4cv73xK7vyx4CA

They've talked about wanting better and more direct service road access in that area for a while, especially for the RedBird redevelopment.

[05danper42842]

What is up with TXDOT creating a Secondary frontage road to bypass a intersection or a traffic light. The first one I seen is at Royal Lane at Dallas TX. The First link contains a live view of the road I am talking about.
https://share.earthcam.net/tJ90CoLmq7TzrY396Yd88AR-_zgeb0ETurTN8xohrio!/635_east_project/i-635_at_skillman_st./view_4
The other that is going to be built is under Galloway Ave Under US 80 in Mesquite. You can click below to find it in the schematics. At the end of the road is there a term or definition for it.
https://www.keepitmovingdallas.com/sites/default/files/docs/CSJ%200095-0-033%20ETC.%2C%20-%20US%2080%20APPROVED%20Final%20EA%2004.2020.pdf

[MaxConcrete]

The "frontage road bypass" is typically a single lane connecting to the frontage road (not main lanes) which bypasses an intersection and its signal. I recall seeing multiple frontage road bypasses in plans for I-35 in north Austin, currently under construction, and south of downtown, which is about to begin. I'm not aware of any planned for Houston in the near term.

I would expect this feature to increase the through capacity of the frontage roads, which can serve as a substitute for adding a main lane. Generally speaking I like this feature, although adding a main lane would probably be preferred. This is really nothing new, however, because frontage roads are often continuous (with no traffic signal) whenever the intersecting street goes over the freeway. I can think of many examples in Houston on the Gulf Freeway. However, all or nearly all of those examples were eliminated when the freeway was rebuilt to have the intersecting street at ground level. I can think of some in DFW on I-30 east of Dallas, and SH 114 Irving.

[BJ59]

I heard from someone that they are planning on adding a 4th lane to SH-114 in the Grapevine/Southlake area. Does anyone know if this is a project that is being planned or is this not happening for a while?

[MaxConcrete]

I heard from someone that they are planning on adding a 4th lane to SH-114 in the Grapevine/Southlake area. Does anyone know if this is a project that is being planned or is this not happening for a while?

There was a public meeting about this project on August 15. The project is mostly in Southlake and Westlake.

The presentation does not mention an estimated start date for construction. Completion of the environmental process is scheduled for the end of 2025. The project could proceed quickly since no new right-of-way is required. The new lanes will be built in the median.

[05danper42842]

The "frontage road bypass" is typically a single lane connecting to the frontage road (not main lanes) which bypasses an intersection and its signal. I recall seeing multiple frontage road bypasses in plans for I-35 in north Austin, currently under construction, and south of downtown, which is about to begin. I'm not aware of any planned for Houston in the near term.

I would expect this feature to increase the through capacity of the frontage roads, which can serve as a substitute for adding a main lane. Generally speaking I like this feature, although adding a main lane would probably be preferred. This is really nothing new, however, because frontage roads are often continuous (with no traffic signal) whenever the intersecting street goes over the freeway. I can think of many examples in Houston on the Gulf Freeway. However, all or nearly all of those examples were eliminated when the freeway was rebuilt to have the intersecting street at ground level. I can think of some in DFW on I-30 east of Dallas, and SH 114 Irving.

Makes a lot of sense. With TXDOT spending a lot of money and massively upgrading and creating roadways pretty sure they have many Ideas from scratch. I been to many states and that frontage road bypass idea belongs to Texas.

[BJ59]

I heard from someone that they are planning on adding a 4th lane to SH-114 in the Grapevine/Southlake area. Does anyone know if this is a project that is being planned or is this not happening for a while?

There was a public meeting about this project on August 15. The project is mostly in Southlake and Westlake.

The presentation does not mention an estimated start date for construction. Completion of the environmental process is scheduled for the end of 2025. The project could proceed quickly since no new right-of-way is required. The new lanes will be built in the median.

Ok cool. I guess its safe to assume this project won't start up for a couple of years then

[motorola870]

What is up with TXDOT creating a Secondary frontage road to bypass a intersection or a traffic light. The first one I seen is at Royal Lane at Dallas TX. The First link contains a live view of the road I am talking about.
https://share.earthcam.net/tJ90CoLmq7TzrY396Yd88AR-_zgeb0ETurTN8xohrio!/635_east_project/i-635_at_skillman_st./view_4
The other that is going to be built is under Galloway Ave Under US 80 in Mesquite. You can click below to find it in the schematics. At the end of the road is there a term or definition for it.
https://www.keepitmovingdallas.com/sites/default/files/docs/CSJ%200095-0-033%20ETC.%2C%20-%20US%2080%20APPROVED%20Final%20EA%2004.2020.pdf

There is also a service road bypass going over fish creek and Robinson Rd in Grand Prairie for east bound service road traffic exiting that intends to continue to Carrier Pkwy.

[Bobby5280]

The DFW metro has several of these frontage road bridges over signaled intersections. The one at LBJ Freeway and Josey Lane can be pretty damned confusing if you don't pay careful attention to the signs.

A few years ago I was leaving the Cinemark Dallas IMAX theater on Webb Chapel Rd. I intended to get on LBJ Freeway and take that to Grapevine and pick up TX-114 to exit the metroplex. I took a left from Webb Chapel onto the WB LBJ Freeway frontage road and took the WB on-ramp just West of the intersection. I expected to just get on WB I-635. As the ramp went over Josey Lane I stayed to the left out of second nature. There was an exit ramp for Denton Drive and Harry Hines Blvd in the right lane. It turns out I should have taken that ramp if I wanted to get to WB I-635. Instead, I wound up on a tolled express lane on-ramp to NB I-35E. To make matters worse, I-35E was all messed up with construction work. That made the wrong turn even more stressful.

[05danper42842]

Any got information on that PGBT Direct Connector to 360 Tollway. Supposedly is a dedicated direct connector for traffic not having to merge on I 20 traffic.

[MaxConcrete]

Any got information on that PGBT Direct Connector to 360 Tollway. Supposedly is a dedicated direct connector for traffic not having to merge on I 20 traffic.

The project is mentioned occasionally in NCTCOG proceedings, but I don't see anything about it on the NTTA site.

I'm thinking that nothing is imminent for this project, and NTTA has higher priorities including the 360 Tollway extension and Bush Turnpike East Branch.

[Road Hog]

The direct connection from Preston Road to DNT southbound is a winner all the way, but getting on the ramp requires a sharp left merge out of the traffic signal and that leaves me uncomfortable unless I have a full green.

[05danper42842]

Any got information on that PGBT Direct Connector to 360 Tollway. Supposedly is a dedicated direct connector for traffic not having to merge on I 20 traffic.

The project is mentioned occasionally in NCTCOG proceedings, but I don't see anything about it on the NTTA site.

I'm thinking that nothing is imminent for this project, and NTTA has higher priorities including the 360 Tollway extension and Bush Turnpike East Branch.

I found it here.
https://www.txdot.gov/projects/hearings-meetings/fort-worth/2024/i20-arlington-grand-prairie-corridor-study.html

[05danper42842]

The most anticipated project that I am waiting for is the US 175/I-20/I-635 Interchange. I often drive on it and traffic becomes a bumper to bumper slow standstill to get on some flyover ramps such as 635 SB headed to US 175. Another issue is that if your headed on I-20WB  to US 175 EB you have to merge through 3 lanes in 350 feet or less or you can use Belt Line. I have seen aparments pop up along US 175 near Woody Drive. More development is coming to us 175 at crandall at a fast rate. If TXDOT doesn't act fast it might become ver similar US 380 but if it was delayed by much more time/years. This interchange should be named the "SouthEast Dallas MixMaster".

[-- US 175 --]

The most anticipated project that I am waiting for is the US 175/I-20/I-635 Interchange. I often drive on it and traffic becomes a bumper to bumper slow standstill to get on some flyover ramps such as 635 SB headed to US 175. Another issue is that if your headed on I-20WB  to US 175 EB you have to merge through 3 lanes in 350 feet or less or you can use Belt Line. I have seen aparments pop up along US 175 near Woody Drive. More development is coming to us 175 at crandall at a fast rate. If TXDOT doesn't act fast it might become ver similar US 380 but if it was delayed by much more time/years. This interchange should be named the "SouthEast Dallas MixMaster".

I'm sure many who use US 175 to commute into Dallas are looking forward to improvements at that interchange.  My guess (without any mockup drawings to look at) would be that they will likely do longer ramps (a-la US 75/I-635 or I-35E/I-635 interchanges) to connect separately to each of the freeways to remedy the mixing/merging/weaving action between US 175 and the I-20/I-635 split.

[BJ59]

The most anticipated project that I am waiting for is the US 175/I-20/I-635 Interchange. I often drive on it and traffic becomes a bumper to bumper slow standstill to get on some flyover ramps such as 635 SB headed to US 175. Another issue is that if your headed on I-20WB  to US 175 EB you have to merge through 3 lanes in 350 feet or less or you can use Belt Line. I have seen aparments pop up along US 175 near Woody Drive. More development is coming to us 175 at crandall at a fast rate. If TXDOT doesn't act fast it might become ver similar US 380 but if it was delayed by much more time/years. This interchange should be named the "SouthEast Dallas MixMaster".

I'm sure many who use US 175 to commute into Dallas are looking forward to improvements at that interchange.  My guess (without any mockup drawings to look at) would be that they will likely do longer ramps (a-la US 75/I-635 or I-35E/I-635 interchanges) to connect separately to each of the freeways to remedy the mixing/merging/weaving action between US 175 and the I-20/I-635 split.

Seems like a similar problem to the problem at the I-20/I-820/US-287 interchange in Fort Worth that they are currently fixing. I think the design US 175 mentioned is the kind of design they are doing at the I-820/US-287/I-20 interchange, where they are creating separate ramps for each highway to avoid merging. It will be interesting to see how this works once they finish the project in Fort Worth and if the Dallas district will use this solution for the US-175/I-20/I-635 interchange

[Chris]

10 years of 'Amazonification' of the south side of Dallas:

[ZLoth]

From Dallas Morning News:

Closure of I-30 to Highway 75 interchange in Dallas starts Tuesday
TxDOT will reroute traffic for ongoing bridge maintenance.
FULL ARTICLE HERE

From MSN:
Closure of I-30 to Highway 75 interchange in Dallas starts Tuesday
FULL ARTICLE HERE

[debragga]

The most anticipated project that I am waiting for is the US 175/I-20/I-635 Interchange. I often drive on it and traffic becomes a bumper to bumper slow standstill to get on some flyover ramps such as 635 SB headed to US 175. Another issue is that if your headed on I-20WB  to US 175 EB you have to merge through 3 lanes in 350 feet or less or you can use Belt Line. I have seen aparments pop up along US 175 near Woody Drive. More development is coming to us 175 at crandall at a fast rate. If TXDOT doesn't act fast it might become ver similar US 380 but if it was delayed by much more time/years. This interchange should be named the "SouthEast Dallas MixMaster".

I'm not sure how legally binding this sign is, but you're very clearly not supposed to go from I-20 WB to US-175 EB. The I-20 WB to US-175 WB movement isn't much better with the exit being right after the EB exit but you only have to get over 2 lanes.

That ramp to 175 EB can definitely be a bear in peak times. I lived in Crandall/Combine as a teenager and drove it frequently almost 10 years ago and it was bad enough then, I can't imagine how bad it must be now with the city council dam finally bursting to allow developments in Crandall.

[-- US 175 --]

The most anticipated project that I am waiting for is the US 175/I-20/I-635 Interchange. I often drive on it and traffic becomes a bumper to bumper slow standstill to get on some flyover ramps such as 635 SB headed to US 175. Another issue is that if your headed on I-20WB  to US 175 EB you have to merge through 3 lanes in 350 feet or less or you can use Belt Line. I have seen aparments pop up along US 175 near Woody Drive. More development is coming to us 175 at crandall at a fast rate. If TXDOT doesn't act fast it might become ver similar US 380 but if it was delayed by much more time/years. This interchange should be named the "SouthEast Dallas MixMaster".

I'm not sure how legally binding this sign is, but you're very clearly not supposed to go from I-20 WB to US-175 EB. The I-20 WB to US-175 WB movement isn't much better with the exit being right after the EB exit but you only have to get over 2 lanes.

That ramp to 175 EB can definitely be a bear in peak times. I lived in Crandall/Combine as a teenager and drove it frequently almost 10 years ago and it was bad enough then, I can't imagine how bad it must be now with the city council dam finally bursting to allow developments in Crandall.

Seagoville, Crandall, and Kaufman all have new/recent retail and restaurants.  All have the potential to add more traffic on US 175.

Besides that, economic/residential activity has increased around Cedar Creek Lake, also increasing traffic.  Over the years, truck traffic has also increased on US 175 (many use it as well as US 69 south to Beaumont as a bypass around Houston).  With completion of the final parts of US 175's widening (between Frankston and Jacksonville) to 4 lanes in the next 4 years, that will have the potential to add further capacity to the highway.

More traffic and economic development in Crandall have already taken their toll.  The service roads at the FM 148 exit now have cracks and potholes from heavy trucks.  There is talk of a signal coming to town (Crandall hasn't ever had one), to a corner where only a 4-way stop has been before.

[debragga]

The most anticipated project that I am waiting for is the US 175/I-20/I-635 Interchange. I often drive on it and traffic becomes a bumper to bumper slow standstill to get on some flyover ramps such as 635 SB headed to US 175. Another issue is that if your headed on I-20WB  to US 175 EB you have to merge through 3 lanes in 350 feet or less or you can use Belt Line. I have seen aparments pop up along US 175 near Woody Drive. More development is coming to us 175 at crandall at a fast rate. If TXDOT doesn't act fast it might become ver similar US 380 but if it was delayed by much more time/years. This interchange should be named the "SouthEast Dallas MixMaster".

I'm not sure how legally binding this sign is, but you're very clearly not supposed to go from I-20 WB to US-175 EB. The I-20 WB to US-175 WB movement isn't much better with the exit being right after the EB exit but you only have to get over 2 lanes.

That ramp to 175 EB can definitely be a bear in peak times. I lived in Crandall/Combine as a teenager and drove it frequently almost 10 years ago and it was bad enough then, I can't imagine how bad it must be now with the city council dam finally bursting to allow developments in Crandall.

Seagoville, Crandall, and Kaufman all have new/recent retail and restaurants.  All have the potential to add more traffic on US 175.

Besides that, economic/residential activity has increased around Cedar Creek Lake, also increasing traffic.  Over the years, truck traffic has also increased on US 175 (many use it as well as US 69 south to Beaumont as a bypass around Houston).  With completion of the final parts of US 175's widening (between Frankston and Jacksonville) to 4 lanes in the next 4 years, that will have the potential to add further capacity to the highway.

More traffic and economic development in Crandall have already taken their toll.  The service roads at the FM 148 exit now have cracks and potholes from heavy trucks.  There is talk of a signal coming to town (Crandall hasn't ever had one), to a corner where only a 4-way stop has been before.

I'm still in the Crandall community Facebook groups, the word there that city council members heard from TxDOT is that the order of operations will be:
FM 148 bypass completion -> US 175 service roads in Crandall get converted to one-way -> see how those help traffic at the intersection of US-175 and what is currently FM 148 and determine if a traffic light is needed. I also saw on there that FM 741 was supposed to be lengthened to go down to FM 3039 at some point, maybe all of those changes will delay the need for traffic lights a while longer. I know I would have loved to have had those options when I was in high school and traffic in town was a total shitshow before and after school. It's still crazy how a town with a 5A school (mainly due to Heartland while I was there at least, though the jump to 5A was right after I graduated) can have no traffic lights and so few food options, but those things seem to be changing.

[Road Hog]

I am familiar with Ellis County and they are bracing for growth as all get out. If Kaufman is getting blind-sided by it, that's on them, sorry.

[05danper42842]

Kaufman for sure acting blind. You can see the growth[1] just by driving along US 175 and you see apartments being built out of nowhere. I have seen in many Kaufman Facebook groups and many have said "There is a need for a South to North Highway". I have driven in crandall and every month traffic gets worse during peak times. Right now they are doing a feasibility study on US 175 for potential widening and continuous frontage roads [2].
[1]Adams, Christopher. "New Population Estimates Reveal Which Areas of Texas Are Growing the Fastest." KXAN, 28 Mar. 2022, www.kxan.com/news/texas/maps-which-texas-counties-are-growing-the-fastest/.
[2]https://www.kaufmancounty.net/DocumentCenter/View/7602/09-September-2024-Kaufman-County-Transportation-Report