Final segment of I 35 expansion celebrated one year anniversary

Final segment of I-35 expansion celebrated one-year anniversary

Published on July 03, 2024

One year ago on June 20, the last segment of the North Tarrant Express 35W project, connecting downtown Fort Worth and the AllianceTexas development and Denton County to the north, officially opened. The 6.7-mile section of I-35W, spanning from the 81/287 Decatur cutoff to Eagle Parkway in AllianceTexas, was completed three months ahead of schedule.

Why it matters: Expanding I-35W was the culmination of three decades of planning, public-private collaboration, and construction to improve mobility through fast-growing Fort Worth, now the 12^th largest city in the U.S. The expansion of the highway and the addition of TEXpress managed lanes has facilitated better connectivity between downtown Fort Worth and AllianceTexas, a major economic driver that has contributed $120 billion to the North Texas region since opening in 1989.

What's they're saying: "Public-private partnerships have expedited the expansion of key corridors throughout the fast-growing Dallas-Fort Worth area, providing better reliability by giving drivers a choice of how to travel through the region," said Michael Morris, P.E., director of transportation, NCTCOG. "This North Central Texas Council of Governments and the Regional Transportation Council were proud to coordinate with North Tarrant Express, the Texas Department of Transportation and other valued partners to help deliver the 35W expansion, a truly transformative project for the region."

The expansion has also reduced congestion in the region. Despite increases in average daily traffic (ADT) and vehicle miles travelled (VMT), average speeds along the corridor have increased year over year. According to the Texas Transportation Institute's annual analysis of Texas' most congested roadways, rebuilt segments of I-35W have dropped in the rankings from pre-construction levels.

Go deeper: The $910-million Segment 3C project began in 2020 and included the reconstruction of the main lanes, construction of expanded frontage roads, and the addition of two new TEXpress managed lanes in each direction. The project was constructed by North Tarrant Infrastructure, a joint venture of Ferrovial Construction and Webber, at no cost to taxpayers. A majority of the contractors, suppliers and consultants engaged on the project were Texas-based and 80 percent were from the North Texas region, further amplifying the economic impact of the project. These project partners accounted for nearly 90 percent of the construction costs.

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