DFW: US 380 freeway in Collin and Denton counties

[Anthony_JK]

That would make it more like a "Jersey freeway" like what Alt US 90 is in southwest Houston. Would that be a suitable makeshift solution until a full freeway is affordable? 

[Bobby5280]

The approach of just doing grade separations at intersections will have to suffice for the time being. And they're going to need to grade-separate at least half a dozen or more intersections between the US-377 split and DNT to get US-380 functioning more like a free-flowing corridor. Even once all the grade separation projects under construction are completed US-380 will still have too many traffic signaled intersections.

Hopefully any utility relocation work they've already done have shifted things far enough out of the ROW in order to allow for a future Interstate quality upgrade.

[Road Hog]

I used to take First Street/Fishtrap Road as an E-W alternate but I'm glad to say 380 is much better now ... as long as you stay east of Gee Road/720. Still a bunch of lights west of there.

[Plutonic Panda]

Update. Not much but fortunately getting closer and closer to construction:

https://collincountyjournal.com/posts/collin-county-txdot-us-380-land-sale-2026/?fbclid=IwdGRleARuUatleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEebF5O-zMRQ6sXYjXujaolYrCDmrE2Sx8_OeR8QBiHtbtNYdGpqY3PK0hIxwk_aem_ygOkaxi9fd6o-S7uueWlRQ

[Bobby5280]

The intersection with FM-1827 and US-380 is on the East side of McKinney. The location is in the area where an interchange will be built, joining the US-380 loop going around the North Side of McKinney and an extension of the TX-121 toll road going around the South and East sides of McKinney National Airport. Farther East bypasses will be built around the North side of Princeton and around the South side of Farmersville.

US-380 between Denton and McKinney will be a long, slow slog to get converted into a proper freeway. One thing I don't understand: the existing freeway segments along US-380 are 3x3 lanes wide yet have no shoulders. Whenever they're able to improve the corridor into something that meets Interstate quality they'll have to remedy all those shoulder issues.

[Road Hog]

I don't think TxDOT has any other plans besides making 380 an urban arterial with grade separations between Denton and McKinney. That ship has sailed thanks to development. The future Outer Loop project a few miles north will have to take up the slack in east-west mobility.

[Plutonic Panda]

They could just tear the development down or they could do an elevated section.

[Bobby5280]

After witnessing the gargantuan Katy Freeway widening project (and how much property had to be cleared for that) I think anything is possible with US-380 between Denton and McKinney. A proper freeway with 6 or 8 lanes plus proper shoulders and flanking frontage roads will be expensive as hell to build. On the bright side, nearly all the properties closing hugging that section of US-380 are unremarkable chain stores. Those things come and go even without a new freeway and eminent domain proceedings. It's far more politically contentious to build a freeway or toll road on a new terrain path through residential areas and take a bunch of homes in the process.

The various grade separations taking place at key intersections will help. But a lot of traffic conflicts will be present between those intersections. There will be weaving issues at either end of the overpasses with some vehicles needing to get to the right lane while others need to shift left to the faster inside lanes. Lots of vehicles will be turning in and out of driveways connecting directly with the main lanes. The real cure for the problem is dedicated frontage roads and separate freeway thru lanes.

The Colin County Outer Loop is 5 miles North of US-380. It's almost as far away as TX-121 is to the South. Any relief it serves for US-380 will be limited.