The facelift of Interstate 35 is continuing in the upcoming months.
The City of Fort Worth is planning a traffic switch from Highway 121 to Spur 280, near Fourth Street in order to make way for the next phase of construction, according to the City of Fort Worth Newsletter. The next phase will include new southbound general highway lanes.
This construction is all part of the North Tarrant Express I-35 project, which began in 2013. The $1.4 billion project includes a 6.5-mile section from north of I-30 to north of I-820, a section ranked 23rd on the state’s most congested roadway list.
To allow for the traffic change, the city plans to make nightly closures that began on Oct. 29. These include:
- A closure of various lanes on southbound 121 and a left lane closure on I-35W. This will begin at 9 p.m. on Oct. 30 and continue through 5 a.m. on Oct. 31.
- A six-month closure of the I-35 southbound on-ramp from Weatherford St.Street and Gilvin Street
- A six-month closure of southbound exit ramp to downtown
Despite the added benefit in the future, Fort Worth residents are having trouble moving past the current frustration.
One Fort Worth resident said the current traffic affects the route she takes to work.
“I try to avoid I-35 at all costs because traffic is already so horrible,” Fort Worth resident Rebecca Burton said. “It’s going to be even more inconvenient while all the construction is taking place, especially right when they change the traffic pattern.”
However, Burton said in the long run, the changes will help traffic flow tremendously.
This traffic switch is expected to last six months, in time for the crew to complete construction.
