NTTA board approves proceeding with TX161 pike in SW Dallas

Posted on Wed, 2009-02-18 22:59

The board of directors of North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) have approved a public-public toll concession contract for construction and operation of TX161 midway between Dallas and Ft Worth. NTTA will pay TxDOT $458m upfront payment, which covers reimbursement to TxDOT for money spent on civil works on Phases 2 and 3. NTTA will pay for construction of Phase 4 and install toll collection equipment on Phases 2 and 3. (Phase 1 is free frontage roads already open.)

TX161 estimated to cost $640m will be an all-electronic tollroad with two mainline gantries and nine pairs of ramp gantries.

It will be owned and operated in perpetuity by NTTA. However beginning in year-52 net revenue will be shared equally between NTTA and TxDOT.

In April 2008 NTTA and TxDOT agreed on a value for TX161 clearing the way for TxDOT to begin construction. In October 2008, after TxDOT committed to make a toll equity loan to the NTTA to strengthen the credit rating of the project NTTA exercised its option to develop TX161.

The new pike will be financed by NTTA as a stand-alone project.

NTTA and TxDOT are jointly supporting an investment grade traffica dn revenue study and they will then submit the project to rating agencies and move to the financing.

Located in far southwestern Dallas County, the TX161 is a 18.5km (11.5 mile) north-south link in a developing loop around Dallas County. It starts at TX183 just south of the terminus of the NTTA's Pres Geo Bush Turnpike near DFW Airport and ends at I-20.

Of full Texan expressway standard it will initially have 2x3 mainline lanes TX183 south to I-30 and 2x2 I-30 to I-20. It will be built on embankment sufficient for widening the pavement to 2x5 lanes in the northern half and to 2x4 lanes in the southern portion. It will have virtually continuous one-way frontage roads of 3 lanes each direction with slip lanes for access and egress to the mainlanes.

It it is due open in stages from August 2009 through June 2012.