The Texas Department of Transportation has officially broken ground on the Southeast Connector project, which is expected to affect drivers for years to come.
The project in Tarrant County will rebuild and widen approximately 11 miles of I-20 and I-820, according to a TxDOT press release.
With a cost of $1.6 billion, the highly anticipated project marks the largest investment in transportation infrastructure in the history of TxDOT’s Fort Worth district, the press release said.
The project will widen I-20 to 10 main lanes from I-820 to US 287 and I-820 to eight main lanes from I-20 to Spur 303 (Rosedale Street). It will also reconstruct the I-20, I-820, and US 287 interchanges.
TxDOT Fort Worth officials said the goal is to make merging easier and improve traffic flow.
“This highly anticipated project will tie in the east and southeast parts of Tarrant County to the central part of the county while relieving congestion,” TxDOT officials explained. “It’s not only important for Tarrant County and Fort Worth, but also facilitates trade, increases safety, and improves efficiency for the entire metroplex.”
The project groundbreaking on Wednesday at a site near I-820 was attended by several top officials, according to NBC 5. Part of the $29 billion statewide Clear Lanes initiative, the Southeast Connector project hopes to ease traffic statewide.
Many projects upgrade old infrastructure, like I-820, which was built in the 1960s when Texas’ population and growth trajectory looked considerably different. From 2010 to 2020, according to U.S. census data, Tarrant County grew 16.7%.
“In the mid-60s, this was an adequate facility. But now in the 21st century, with our population exploding, it’s no longer adequate to meet its needs,” said Val Lopez, spokesperson for TxDOT Fort Worth District.
“These large projects represent real progress in meeting the demands of North Texas as far as transportation, as far as commuters trying to get to where they’re going,” Lopez said.
He added, “We are trying very hard to relieve congestion, and we’re building quite aggressively.”
As one project begins, another is complete. The Southern Gateway project that officially opened on Wednesday was also a part of the initiative. It took five years, costing $666 million, to rebuild and widen I-35E from Colorado Blvd. to US 67.
Although the projects are expected to impact drivers temporarily, TxDOT officials said traffic volumes and the population are growing so much that the older infrastructure needs to be updated to handle the projected increase in vehicle traffic.
Construction on the Southeast Connector project is expected to be completed in 2027.
