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Urban congestion projects get $300 million boost
Brandon Formby
January 27, 2016

Announcement of the bump came Wednesday in Austin during a workshop of the commission, which oversees the Texas Department of Transportation. Dallas-Fort Worth’s share of the $1.3 billion is now expected to grow from $406 million to $527.8 million.

The state transportation commission won’t decide until next month which projects benefit from the program. But North Texas’ Regional Transportation Council has already selected its recommendations. Those projects include:

- Fixes to Lowest Stemmons Freeway, where Interstate 35E runs near downtown Dallas
- Widening I-35E and U.S. Highway 67 south of downtown, dubbed Southern Gateway
- Reconstructing the interchanges of State Highways 121 and 360 in Grapevine
- Widening State Highway 199 in far west Fort Worth
- Interchange additions and other fixes to International Highway 820 and SH 121 in Fort Worth, Richland Hills and Hurst

While the widening of I-35E south of downtown will add capacity for cars, part of that project could also lay the groundwork the kind of public works project that new urbanists say benefit neighborhoods and increase walkable options. The RTC and Dallas officials want TxDOT’s widening of the highway to include installing infrastructure upon which a new deck park could be built. The park itself would be paid for by a combination of RTC, city and private funds.

That park idea, born from a grass-roots effort, is seen as a way to reconnect southern Dallas neighborhoods torn apart by the construction of I-35E decades ago. The specific park location hasn’t been selected, though Dallas officials are eyeing a potential location near the Dallas Zoo.

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