North Tarrant Express expansion completed ahead of schedule

TEXpress Highways has completed construction on its North Tarrant Express (NTE) Capacity Improvement Project, expanding 10 miles of the State Hwy. 183/121 (Airport Freeway) and Interstate 820 (Loop 820) highway corridors between Euless and Fort Worth.

The $414 million project, which began in late 2023, was funded solely through toll revenues, meaning no public-sector or taxpayer money was used in the expansion’s design and construction.

The project, which traverses six municipalities in Northeast Tarrant County, has added one free, general-purpose lane in each direction along Loop 820 between Riverside Drive in Fort Worth and Texas Blvd. 26 in North Richland Hills, and one TEXpress managed lane in each direction along Airport Freeway between Bedford-Euless Road in North Richland Hills and FM 157/Industrial Blvd. in Euless.

Completion comes months ahead of schedule; originally, the project was slated for completion in early 2027.

Keeping North Texas moving

Average daily traffic along the Airport Freeway and Loop 820 corridors has increased by more than 25% since pre-construction levels in 2009. Yet, even with the increase in traffic volume, the average speed along the corridor remains high: an average of 45 mph in the general-purpose lanes and 70 mph in the TEXpress managed lanes, even during peak rush hours.

“The short-term pain of construction is outweighed by the tremendous benefit for everyone — commuters, residents, first responders and others — of being able to get where they need to go more quickly and safely,” said David Salazar, Fort Worth district engineer for TxDOT. “But this is not just a quality-of-life issue; keeping North Texas moving has sustained, positive economic implications that we should not overlook.”

“Texas has clearly demonstrated the value of public-private partnerships to the public, and other states are taking notice and adding this tool to their toolboxes,” said Michael Morris, director of transportation and staff director to the Regional Transportation Council. “With the gas tax unchanged in the last 35 years, there simply is not enough money in Texas to keep pace with the infrastructure needed to accommodate a region that will ultimately surpass 12 million people and become the third-largest metropolitan area in the country. Delivering a project quickly that is paid for by the private sector is a win-win for everyone.”

Photo: Mayor Pro Tem Carlos Flores joins former Mayor Betsy Price to cut the ribbon opening lanes on the North Tarrant Express Capacity Improvement Project.

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