Construction officially began this week on a tunnel that is part of DART’s new rail line, the Silver Line Regional Rail Project, which will link Collin County to DFW Airport.
According to a statement from DART, the work will include the installation of asphalt detours for utility relocation and the demolition of median sections. The construction will continue through November 18.
The project will significantly alter traffic flow on certain roads.
Hillcrest Road, which runs north-south, will be reduced to one traffic lane or shut down completely beginning Monday, August 29. The northbound lanes of Hillcrest Road between McKamy and McCallum Boulevards will also be closed.
Some Dallas residents expressed concern that this construction work could impact public safety for thousands of residents.
For example, the lane and road closures would temporarily affect emergency responders and neighborhood traffic.
“It’s not that I’m dreading it,” said Steffani Bailin. “I’m fearful. I’m scared.”
Bailin is a longtime resident of The Highlands at McKamy, a neighborhood in Far North Dallas.
Once the project construction begins, Hillcrest Road closures could divert traffic through The Highlands’ nearby street of Meandering Way, which is home to 98 addresses and 276 properties.
“I think it will be very dangerous,” said Lois Orrico, another neighborhood resident. He said when he walks on the trail and on the sidewalks, “the cars go too quickly here now.” With more traffic, he said, “it’s only going to be a nightmare.”
DART said it plans to direct detoured traffic to Preston Road or Coit Road and install “Local Traffic Only” signs on Meandering Way to deter traffic.
The Highlands resident Kay Marshall shared Orrico’s concern.
“I retired recently from Franklin Middle School, which is the middle school that our neighborhood feeds into,” she said. “So I know that there are walkers to that school, and kids are not always as careful as they should be.”
She said the traffic already goes “faster than it should” on the street. “And if it’s busier and faster, I think that it’s going to be an issue. ”
Dallas Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn also spoke about the potential for safety hazards stemming from the rail line construction.
“Because we are the farthest north part of North Dallas, we often don’t get the same response,” Mendelsohn said, referring to emergency response services. “So to then cut off some really big roads, I’m worried about that.”
In a statement, DART said it works closely with the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Fire-Rescue to create solutions to ensure all emergency vehicles have full access.
The rail line project was initially planned for six months. City officials said that it could take up to a year.
Several phases for the project were outlined in the official construction activity notification.
The 26-mile Silver Line project will traverse seven cities between DFW Airport, Grapevine, Coppell, Dallas, Carrollton, Addison, Richardson, and Plano, and include 10 new stations. DART’s funding relies primarily on property taxes from its member communities. Revenue service for the Silver Line is scheduled for 2024.
The primary purpose of the Silver Line, as stated by DART, is to provide passenger rail connections and services that will “improve mobility, accessibility and system linkages to major employment, population, and activity centers in the northern part of the DART service area.”