HIGHLIGHTS
TXDOT CELEBRATES GROUNDBREAKING OF $ 1.6 BILLION SOUTHEAST CONNECTOR PROJECT ✅
In January , city , county and state leaders celebrated the groundbreaking of the $ 1.6 billion Southeast Connector Project , which represents the largest investment of TxDOT funds in the history of the Fort Worth District .
The transformative project , estimated for completion in 2027 , will rebuild and widen approximately 16 miles of Interstate 20 and Interstate 820 . Interstate 20 will be widened to 10 mainlanes from I-820 to US 287 and I-820 will be widened to eight mainlanes from I-20 to Spur 303 ( Rosedale Street ). The Southeast Connector Project will also reconstruct the I-20 , I-820 and US 287 interchanges .
The Texas Transportation Commission designated the Southeast Connector Project as part of the statewide Texas Clear Lanes initiative , a program to address the most congested chokepoints in the state . The project area was ranked as No . 79 in the list of 100 most congested areas in the state , an issue that would only worsen as Dallas-Fort Worth ’ s population continues to grow . An estimated 250,000 vehicles travel corridors in the project area each day , a number that is expected to grow to 370,000 vehicles per day by the year 2045 , David Salazar Jr ., TxDOT Fort Worth District Engineer , said during the groundbreaking .
“ This Texas Clear Lane Project will reduce congestion and improve safety in the cities of Fort Worth , Arlington , Forest Hill , Kennedale and over 200,000 drivers who pass through the corridor every day ,” Salazar said .
This highly anticipated project will tie in the east and southeast part of Tarrant County to the central part of the county while relieving congestion . It ’ s not only important for Tarrant County , Fort Worth and Arlington , but also facilitates trade , increases safety , and improves efficiency for the entire Metroplex , Salazar said .
“ The Southeast Connector will improve mobility , congestion relief , and safety in this area , which is of paramount importance with this $ 1.6 billion project . This is a small part of a bigger piece of what we are trying to do throughout the entire state of Texas ,” said J . Bruce Bugg Jr ., Chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission .
Thanks to dedicated funding approved by Texas voters in 2014 and 2015 , TxDOT has been able to develop and program projects specifically designed to reduce gridlock and improve safety in the the state ’ s large metropolitan areas .
The program has $ 61.3 billion in projects that have been completed , are under construction or are in planning . More than a dozen projects have been completed statewide . The Dallas-Fort Worth region has completed $ 1.2 billion in projects to date , with another $ 5.1 billion under construction and $ 3.3 billion in planning .
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