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[MaxConcrete]

NTTA is soliciting bids to widen the DNT from 3x3 to 4x4 from SH 121 Sam Rayburn Tollway to US 380. US 380 is the current north terminus of the main lanes (although frontage roads extend further north).

This should be relatively easy since it was designed to be widened into the median space. The bad news is that it will be impossible or impractical to make it any wider.

The solicitation is listed online.
https://www.nttamarketplace.org/bso/external/publicBids.sdo

There is also a notice in today's Dallas Morning News.

http://dallasfreeways.com/dfwfreeways/AARoads/20220218-DNT-expansion-SRT-380.png

[Road Hog]

With the US 380 overpass nearing completion, that will just hasten the build-out of Prosper and the north part of Frisco.

[Plutonic Panda]

It looks like you might be able to squeeze a fifth lane in at some point in the future but it would be very tight.

[Bobby5280]

A 4x4 configuration from the SRT to US-380 is possible, but it won't be all that easy or cheap to build. Some of the 4x4 configuration can indeed be done by using up the bits of median along much of the stretch. It's still likely some bridges and ramps would have to be modified if the road is to be 4x4 lanes the entire way.

I don't think a 5x5 configuration is possible at all, not without a major tear-down and re-build -one that would include altering the frontage roads. Within the boundaries set by the frontage roads I don't think there is even enough room to add support piers for any elevated viaducts for additional capacity years or decades later.

[MaxConcrete]

Webber has been awarded this contract for $127 million. 40 months seems long for construction, but construction schedules always seem to be extended these days.

https://newsroom.ferrovial.com/en/press_releases/north-dallas-expansion/

Ferrovial, through Webber, its US construction subsidiary, has been awarded the contract to widen a 15-kilometre section of the Dallas North Tollway, in Texas. The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) has selected the company to execute this contract worth USD 127 million (about €119 million).

The work is scheduled to begin in September and take an estimated 40 months. It will increase the road’s capacity and help alleviate congestion in north Dallas while improving connections to Collin, Denton and Grayson counties.

As part of the project, Webber will widen the existing toll road from three to four lanes in each direction. The work will include widening 22 bridges as well as upgrading overpasses and building new ramps. Safety lighting will also be upgraded and signage will be replaced along the corridor.

[I-39]

The bigger question is, when is the extension to Celina happening? With the ongoing Colin County boom, they need to get a move on it ASAP.

[Bobby5280]

According to the Celina, TX city web site the NTTA has started initial construction of Phase 4B of the Dallas North Tollway. What I mean by "initial" is that the first piece of construction is a 2 lane road, presumably one of the outboard frontage roads. They're saying this initial 2-lane road will be finished in 2023. Phase 4B is the final phase of the DNT extension going North of Celina to the Grayson County line.
https://www.celina-tx.gov/1117/Dallas-North-Tollway

The Grayson County Tollway will be what goes from the Grayson County line up to US-75 on the North side of Sherman, TX. There is a preferred alignment set for that toll road. But I can't tell when construction might begin on things like 2 lane frontage roads to secure the right of way.

[austrini]

It goes up to FM 121 west of Gunter now, it's not open yet - here's an aerial from June 13

[bwana39]

According to the Celina, TX city web site the NTTA has started initial construction of Phase 4B of the Dallas North Tollway. What I mean by "initial" is that the first piece of construction is a 2 lane road, presumably one of the outboard frontage roads. They're saying this initial 2-lane road will be finished in 2023. Phase 4B is the final phase of the DNT extension going North of Celina to the Grayson County line.
https://www.celina-tx.gov/1117/Dallas-North-Tollway

The Grayson County Tollway will be what goes from the Grayson County line up to US-75 on the North side of Sherman, TX. There is a preferred alignment set for that toll road. But I can't tell when construction might begin on things like 2 lane frontage roads to secure the right of way.

The Grayson County Tollway will be what goes from the Grayson County line up to US-75 on the North side of Denison TX. There is a preferred alignment set for that toll road.
ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/par/grayson_tollway/gct_route/overall_map.pdf

[The Ghostbuster]

If, instead of eventually terminating the DNT at US 75 in Denison, TX (ironically, my late stepfather's last name was Denison), they decided to extend the DNT into Oklahoma, possibly to terminate at US 70? Could it be done?

[bwana39]

If, instead of eventually terminating the DNT at US 75 in Denison, TX (ironically, my late stepfather's last name was Denison), they decided to extend the DNT into Oklahoma, possibly to terminate at US 70? Could it be done?

It COULD but it would require crossing the lake. Pretty pricey.  I don't think it makes a lot of sense economically.  Not to mention the Oklahoma commitment required.

[I-35]

If, instead of eventually terminating the DNT at US 75 in Denison, TX (ironically, my late stepfather's last name was Denison), they decided to extend the DNT into Oklahoma, possibly to terminate at US 70? Could it be done?

They could, but there's no reason to.  The Denison Dam is only a couple miles west of the current 69/75 alignment - if a new routing was proposed to go across Lake Texoma at one of its widest points, the bridge alone would easily run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. 

I've proposed this on another thread, but Cooke and Denton County need to get involved and propose a west spur of the DNT to connect into I-35, somewhere north of Winstar. (around MM7 on I-35)  This would provide a much needed NW-SE highway alignment that doesn't currently exist, and an alternate to I-35 for traffic headed to the northern DFW suburbs.  Right now, with the proposed Grayson County Tollway, and TX 289/Preston Rd, there are several alignments that parallel US 75 already, despite I-35 carrying more interregional traffic.  I get that Gainesville is but a blip compared to Sherman/Denison, but there's no reason to think development won't fan out across north Texas from Tioga/Pilot Point over to Van Alstyne.

[Road Hog]

It goes up to FM 121 west of Gunter now, it's not open yet - here's an aerial from June 13

None of it north of FM 428 is open yet, but it’s nice to see the progress.

[dchristy]

If, instead of eventually terminating the DNT at US 75 in Denison, TX (ironically, my late stepfather's last name was Denison), they decided to extend the DNT into Oklahoma, possibly to terminate at US 70? Could it be done?

They could, but there's no reason to.  The Denison Dam is only a couple miles west of the current 69/75 alignment - if a new routing was proposed to go across Lake Texoma at one of its widest points, the bridge alone would easily run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. 

I've proposed this on another thread, but Cooke and Denton County need to get involved and propose a west spur of the DNT to connect into I-35, somewhere north of Winstar. (around MM7 on I-35)  This would provide a much needed NW-SE highway alignment that doesn't currently exist, and an alternate to I-35 for traffic headed to the northern DFW suburbs.  Right now, with the proposed Grayson County Tollway, and TX 289/Preston Rd, there are several alignments that parallel US 75 already, despite I-35 carrying more interregional traffic.  I get that Gainesville is but a blip compared to Sherman/Denison, but there's no reason to think development won't fan out across north Texas from Tioga/Pilot Point over to Van Alstyne.

I wholeheartedly agree that this should be done but, unfortunately, I don't see Oklahoma getting involved for even a few miles in Love County.  Is there a good place between Gainesville and the state line where this extension could terminate?

[I-35]

If, instead of eventually terminating the DNT at US 75 in Denison, TX (ironically, my late stepfather's last name was Denison), they decided to extend the DNT into Oklahoma, possibly to terminate at US 70? Could it be done?

They could, but there's no reason to.  The Denison Dam is only a couple miles west of the current 69/75 alignment - if a new routing was proposed to go across Lake Texoma at one of its widest points, the bridge alone would easily run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. 

I've proposed this on another thread, but Cooke and Denton County need to get involved and propose a west spur of the DNT to connect into I-35, somewhere north of Winstar. (around MM7 on I-35)  This would provide a much needed NW-SE highway alignment that doesn't currently exist, and an alternate to I-35 for traffic headed to the northern DFW suburbs.  Right now, with the proposed Grayson County Tollway, and TX 289/Preston Rd, there are several alignments that parallel US 75 already, despite I-35 carrying more interregional traffic.  I get that Gainesville is but a blip compared to Sherman/Denison, but there's no reason to think development won't fan out across north Texas from Tioga/Pilot Point over to Van Alstyne.

I wholeheartedly agree that this should be done but, unfortunately, I don't see Oklahoma getting involved for even a few miles in Love County.  Is there a good place between Gainesville and the state line where this extension could terminate?

There would only be about 4-5 miles in Oklahoma, so honestly I wonder if NTTA could run the facility under an agreement with OTA.  Or just make the 4-5 mile stem into Oklahoma an untolled portion.  The Chickasaws may well put money in for a new Winstar Blvd eastern interchange, plus it opens up that area for development near the casino.  The northern end of the spur could be a scaled down version of the TX130/IH-35 wye interchange north of Georgetown.

If it needed to end near Gainesville, tying it into the area around the old factory outlets makes some sense, but that takes it a few miles farther west than need be.

[Bobby5280]

I don't think a West leg of the DNT crossing the state line into Oklahoma will feasible at all for at least the next 10-20 years. ODOT has its funding problems. The OTA is biting off pretty much all they can chew with the Access Oklahoma plan. While the Chickasaws (and their non-tribe member partners) are bringing in a lot of money at the Winstar complex I wouldn't expect them to help fund a super highway project costing possibly hundreds of millions of dollars.

The chances of any West leg of the DNT being built would be best if that leg was contained within Texas to get around Oklahoma's highway funding issues. But even in that case the route options are kind of limited. Ray Roberts Lake has a big footprint. That would push the East-West split of the two legs miles North of the Grayson County line. It would have to go that far North to get a diagonal angle around the NE side of the Lake, probably even skirting North of Collinsville. Then it would be a matter of going diagonally North to meet I-35 just South of the Red River crossing.

I think needed improvements to US-82 would be a competing mouth to feed if this West leg was built as a freeway. As a toll road it might be easier to do.

[I-35]

I don't think a West leg of the DNT crossing the state line into Oklahoma will feasible at all for at least the next 10-20 years. ODOT has its funding problems. The OTA is biting off pretty much all they can chew with the Access Oklahoma plan. While the Chickasaws (and their non-tribe member partners) are bringing in a lot of money at the Winstar complex I wouldn't expect them to help fund a super highway project costing possibly hundreds of millions of dollars.

The chances of any West leg of the DNT being built would be best if that leg was contained within Texas to get around Oklahoma's highway funding issues. But even in that case the route options are kind of limited. Ray Roberts Lake has a big footprint. That would push the East-West split of the two legs miles North of the Grayson County line. It would have to go that far North to get a diagonal angle around the NE side of the Lake, probably even skirting North of Collinsville. Then it would be a matter of going diagonally North to meet I-35 just South of the Red River crossing.

I think needed improvements to US-82 would be a competing mouth to feed if this West leg was built as a freeway. As a toll road it might be easier to do.

The routing I had basically napkin sketched was angling from the northern Denton/Collin county line area and north of Tioga (thus northeast of the body of Ray Roberts Lake), but southwest of Whitesboro, providing a bypass for eastbound 82 traffic to the northern DFW suburbs.  North of 82 is pretty open, if not rolling terrain, up near Callisburg.  The genesis of this idea was providing some alternative to I-35 through the Lewisville/Denton areas to areas due north.  The expansion of I-35 to eight lanes through Cooke County may well be the solution to the mess that is there now.

[Bobby5280]

The Dallas North Tollway would turn into the Grayson County Tollway by the time it reached FM-121 to the East of Tioga. I think the toll road would have to go almost as far North as FM-902, just West of Dorchester, before the East-West split could occur. Then it could run on a diagonal between Collinsville and Whitesboro going toward the I-35 Red River Crossing.

I think there is so much development happening in the Northern reaches of the DFW metroplex that widening I-35 to 4 lanes in both directions won't be enough for the long term. The DFW metro seems to be a magnet for people relocating from other regions of the nation. The worsening water crisis in the Southwest US may spark even more migration to Texas. That may make a West leg of the DNT to I-35 necessary. I strongly believe US-82 between Gainesville and Sherman needs to be upgraded to Interstate standards. TX DOT has done some improvement work over the years, but I think they're falling behind and about to be staring at another US-380 style problem. The US-377 corridor will see more pressure applied to it; it's one of the main routes from DFW up to the Lake Texoma area.

[Chris]

Major investments have been announced for Sherman.

Texas Instruments is building a potential $ 30 billion semiconductor wafer plant: https://www.ti.com/about-ti/company/ti-at-a-glance/manufacturing/sherman.html

GlobalWafers has just announced a $ 5 billion wafer plant: https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2022/06/globalwafers-selects-sherman-texas-new-semiconductor-silicon-wafer-site

This is a boatload of high paying jobs going to a relatively small city, potentially with a lot of trickle-down effect on other industries in the area.

It seems like Sherman could become a boomtown over the next few decades.

[Bobby5280]

Those big semiconductor wafer facilities might add a little more push for a Northern extension of I-45. Or if not in name, at least an Interstate-class corridor thru Sherman on North to either Tulsa or Big Cabin. Those multi-billion dollar wafer facilities would add more pressure to further improve the US-82 East-West corridor too.

With a growth of higher paying technical jobs in the Sherman area it's also likely there might be a boom of sorts for building vacation and recreational properties around Lake Texoma.

[ZLoth]

I took a trip to the northwest corner of Collin County back on April 30th. Right now, the phase 4B of the Dallas North Tollway construction is taking place where they are constructing a two-lane frontage road right up to the Collin-Greyson-Denton county lines. This is expected to be completed by late 2022/early 2023, and will eventually become the southbound frontage road. When you look at the area now, it's practically county, but give it a few years, and I see housing developments.

[dchristy]

The Dallas North Tollway would turn into the Grayson County Tollway by the time it reached FM-121 to the East of Tioga. I think the toll road would have to go almost as far North as FM-902, just West of Dorchester, before the East-West split could occur. Then it could run on a diagonal between Collinsville and Whitesboro going toward the I-35 Red River Crossing.

I think there is so much development happening in the Northern reaches of the DFW metroplex that widening I-35 to 4 lanes in both directions won't be enough for the long term. The DFW metro seems to be a magnet for people relocating from other regions of the nation. The worsening water crisis in the Southwest US may spark even more migration to Texas. That may make a West leg of the DNT to I-35 necessary. I strongly believe US-82 between Gainesville and Sherman needs to be upgraded to Interstate standards. TX DOT has done some improvement work over the years, but I think they're falling behind and about to be staring at another US-380 style problem. The US-377 corridor will see more pressure applied to it; it's one of the main routes from DFW up to the Lake Texoma area.

I just drove US-377 from Whitesboro down to Aubrey this morning.  Lots of traffic on this two lane highway with speeds around 50 mph much of the time, even in the more rural areas.  In my opinion, serious consideration needs to be given to making this a four lanes.  Is this even under consideration?

[I-35]

The Dallas North Tollway would turn into the Grayson County Tollway by the time it reached FM-121 to the East of Tioga. I think the toll road would have to go almost as far North as FM-902, just West of Dorchester, before the East-West split could occur. Then it could run on a diagonal between Collinsville and Whitesboro going toward the I-35 Red River Crossing.

I think there is so much development happening in the Northern reaches of the DFW metroplex that widening I-35 to 4 lanes in both directions won't be enough for the long term. The DFW metro seems to be a magnet for people relocating from other regions of the nation. The worsening water crisis in the Southwest US may spark even more migration to Texas. That may make a West leg of the DNT to I-35 necessary. I strongly believe US-82 between Gainesville and Sherman needs to be upgraded to Interstate standards. TX DOT has done some improvement work over the years, but I think they're falling behind and about to be staring at another US-380 style problem. The US-377 corridor will see more pressure applied to it; it's one of the main routes from DFW up to the Lake Texoma area.

Agreed on US 82, it's sort of this hybrid expressway that really needs a full upgrade between at least I-35 and US 75.  I don't know if there is room for flyovers at the US 75 interchange, but the 'upgrade' they are doing to the existing volleyball design suggests that it will not be getting that treatment.

[In_Correct]

Major investments have been announced for Sherman.

Texas Instruments is building a potential $ 30 billion semiconductor wafer plant: https://www.ti.com/about-ti/company/ti-at-a-glance/manufacturing/sherman.html

GlobalWafers has just announced a $ 5 billion wafer plant: https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2022/06/globalwafers-selects-sherman-texas-new-semiconductor-silicon-wafer-site

This is a boatload of high paying jobs going to a relatively small city, potentially with a lot of trickle-down effect on other industries in the area.

It seems like Sherman could become a boomtown over the next few decades.

Sherman's Road Infrastructure is currently not able to accommodate additional traffic. Capacity and also Safety Improvements are needed and have been needed for decades.

The Dallas North Tollway would turn into the Grayson County Tollway by the time it reached FM-121 to the East of Tioga. I think the toll road would have to go almost as far North as FM-902, just West of Dorchester, before the East-West split could occur. Then it could run on a diagonal between Collinsville and Whitesboro going toward the I-35 Red River Crossing.

I think there is so much development happening in the Northern reaches of the DFW metroplex that widening I-35 to 4 lanes in both directions won't be enough for the long term. The DFW metro seems to be a magnet for people relocating from other regions of the nation. The worsening water crisis in the Southwest US may spark even more migration to Texas. That may make a West leg of the DNT to I-35 necessary. I strongly believe US-82 between Gainesville and Sherman needs to be upgraded to Interstate standards. TX DOT has done some improvement work over the years, but I think they're falling behind and about to be staring at another US-380 style problem. The US-377 corridor will see more pressure applied to it; it's one of the main routes from DFW up to the Lake Texoma area.

I just drove US-377 from Whitesboro down to Aubrey this morning.  Lots of traffic on this two lane highway with speeds around 50 mph much of the time, even in the more rural areas.  In my opinion, serious consideration needs to be given to making this a four lanes.  Is this even under consideration?

Not serious. They have in Grayson County a Study for Super 2 North of Whitesboro. Hopefully they Preserve the Right Of Way for The Willis Bridge so they can Twin it. All of Denton County includes a Study to Widen U.S. 377 for Continuous Passing Lanes, possibly Divided.

[Bobby5280]

The situation with US-377 is arguably pretty ridiculous. Just north of the TX-114 intersection in Roanoke US-377 drops down to 2 lanes and stays that way until entering Denton. Then it's 2 lanes only from its split with US-380 on North up to the Red River.

That whole thing should be either 4-lane divided or 5 lane undivided with the 5th lane being a center turn lane. Existing traffic levels are pretty heavy for a mere 2-lane highway. Plus US-377 is almost the only Red River crossing between I-35 and US-75. The SH-91 crossing over Denison Dam is almost a stone's throw from US-75.