During Tuesday’s work session, the council heard a presentation on state funding availability and its impact on project funding. The presentation was made by North Central Texas Council of Governments Director of Transportation Michael Morris and Texas Department of Transportation Fort Worth District Engineer Loyl Bussell.
Morris addressed what he called “foundational capacity partnerships.” Highlighting his list were the Poly-Texas Wesleyan streetscapes, Panther Island bridges (an estimated $107 million), a potential new transit station at Trinity Lakes, the Hemphill-Lamar connector, travel on East Lancaster, and east-west travel on Haslet Parkway.
Bussell’s project highlights included the $1.5 billion Southeast Connector that features several components, including:
*Widening I-20 to 10 main lanes from 820 to U.S. 287.
*Widening 820 to 10 main lanes from I-20 to Meadowbrook.
*Frontage roads along I-20, 820, and 287.
Bussell’s presentation also included I-30 interchanges at Spur 580 and State Highway 183, an estimated cost of $81 million with an estimated award coming in 2021; 820 to Camp Bowie, an estimated $550 million with an estimated award coming in 2023; and as of yet unfunded projects such as I-30 in east Fort Worth ($700 million estimate), State Highway 170 ($446 million estimate), and U.S. 81 and 287 ($100 million estimate).
“These things don’t go unnoticed, not just by us, but by our constituents,” said District 7 Council Member Dennis Shingleton. “If we’ll just get out there and tell them it’s on the way.”
Mayor Betsy Price announced some good news prior to the presentation. She said her office received a call from Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, with word that an infrastructure grant for the which the city had applied had been approved for $65 million.
“It’s always good to have your congresswomen call to say you’re getting $65 million,” Price said.