Transportation Commission approves North Tarrant Express project; Price testifies

Texas Transportation Commission Feb. 28, 2019 photo courtesy Mosaic Strategy Partners

Mayor Betsy Price testified before the Texas Transportation Commission this morning, thanking the commission for approving funding for the final segment of the North Tarrant Express Project, Section 3C.

“The completion of this phase ensures that Texas will remain a leader in commerce by providing our City and our region with easy connectivity to the rest of the nation and the world,” she said.

The project would expand I-35W from U.S. Highway 287 about eight miles north to Eagle Parkway. Officials say this highway expansion offers a connection between the downtown business district in downtown Fort Worth to the rapidly growing areas to the north.

TxDOT will pay $28 million and potentially another $15 million (to total $43 million) – but only for the non-tolled portion of the project.

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“Your support, along with the Texas Department of Transportation and NTE Mobility Partners’ unprecedented construction schedule, enabled us to build the North Tarrant Express, including the first two segments of 35W, in nothing short of a spectacular turnaround time – less than ten years,” Price told the committee.

In a statement, NTE Mobility Partners said: “We are excited to continue the good work going on in North Texas to deliver expanded mobility and congestion relief in the region. We will work alongside our partners at TxDOT, NCTCOG and the city of Fort Worth to complete this process and get the 3C project underway.”

City officials noted that since pre-construction started in 2013, there has been a 35 percent increase in traffic on I-35W. Since the completion of segments 3A and 3B average speeds have increased by 20 percent, with overall congestion down by 75 percent. To date, more than 1 million vehicles have utilized 35W managed lanes. Of those vehicles, roughly 40 percent are new users each month. American Infrastructure Magazine rated I-35W the busiest corridor in North America.