NTTA Opens New Section of Pres Geo Bush Turnpike

Dec 31 99, the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) opened a new 12km (7.5mi) section (Coit Rd to Campbell Rd) of the President George Bush Turnpike (PGBT) completing construction of the main lanes between the Dallas North Tollway and US-75 (North Central Expressway). Since Dec 4 98 NTTA has had a 7km (4.5mi) section open straddling the Dallas North Tollway (DNT), making the total open now 19km (12mi). The main-lane construction is 2x3-lanes Midway Road to the new toll plaza located near Renner Rd and Shiloh Rd. East of the toll plaza is 2x2-lanes, though throughout the median allows ultimate widening to 2x4-lanes. In addition over much of the toll road there are parallel Texas-style frontage roads with slip-lanes for access and egress. In some places these have been built ahead of the mainlanes, helping to establish traffic patterns in the corridor.

Construction cost so far totals $85m excluding the costs of the big 4-level mwy-mwy ICs at DNT and US-75. Cash tolls are 50c for each side of US-75 and ramp tolls west of Custer Rd and east of Jupiter Rd are 25c. NTTA has had a very successful ET discount plan and distribution of tags at supermarkets and banks. It has gained a rapid increase in usage of its Tolltag transponders (Amtech) on its main DNT facility as well as at the Addison Airport Toll Tunnel. On the Pres Geo Bush it is opening up a series of highway speed ET plazas with 2x2 and 2x3-lanes of open road ET, but the cash and coin lanes to the sides also take Tolltag.

Another section further east to TX-78 in Garland is scheduled to open this spring. To the west a portion between Midway Rd and I-35E should be ready by summer-01. A segment from I-635 to Belt Line Rd in Irving is now starting construction and is planned for completion in Jan-02. The final segment presently funded, I-35E to I-635 is planned to open in summer-04.

In total 49km (30mi) will cost $950m or $3.2m/lane-km. The new pike broke with the tradition of the old TTA charter in going for state and federal subsidies. The project received $285m from TxDOT and an FHWA loan of $135m. $446m of bonds were floated in a complex financing based on backing from the revenues of the existing DNT as well as the tax money. It competes in some measure with the large LBJ Fwy (I-635) which parallels it to the south. (Contact Jerry Shelton 214 528 2678 www.ntta.dst.tx.us)