Work will begin this week to revamp the High-Occupancy Vehicle lanes along U.S. 75.
Last year, The Dallas Express reported the project was one of several initiatives to help ease growing traffic congestion in the metroplex. Now, the Texas Department of Transportation will commence the $58.8 million project to enhance HOV lanes and help alleviate traffic from LBJ to the Sam Rayburn Tollway.
Tony Hartzel, a spokesperson for TxDOT, said the motivation stems from the underutilization of the current HOV lanes, compounded by increasing traffic as more people use the main highway corridor. Upon the project’s completion, the roadway’s inside lanes will open to all motorists, except at peak times, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., when they will remain exclusively for HOVs, motorcycles, and electric or low-emission vehicles.
An immediate effect of the project will be the nightly closures on U.S. 75. Both north and southbound lanes will be impacted between President George Bush Turnpike and Sam Rayburn Tollway, across Plano and Allen. The nightly closures began on Monday and will continue through the fall of 2024.
As a first stage, the plastic pylons along the north and southbound lanes will be removed over an estimated five-month period. In the past, these flexible traffic posts have often been damaged or destroyed after vehicle impacts. They have also been the source of frustration for drivers and a “challenge to maintain,” says Hartzel.
Following the removal of the pylons, the inside lanes will remain standard HOV lanes until the project is completed, which is projected to be sometime in 2026.
The project budget will also go toward rebuilding the center barrier, improving lighting, and introducing new alerts to notify drivers when the inside lanes can be used.
