Two big road construction projects are set to start in 2015/2016 and both will have significant impacts on traffic in Arlington, bringing improved safety, mobility and traffic flow.

Both multimillion dollar projects support the Arlington"s City Council"s priority of "Enhancing Regional Mobility" and will dovetail with the $80 million worth of projects the City of Arlington"s Public Works Department pushed out last year and the newly passed 2014 Bond Program which includes $160 million in road improvement projects over five years.

I-30 Corridor Project

In North Arlington, the Texas Department of Transportation will invest $247 million in the I-30 corridor including improvements from Cooper Street to SH 161 that will address current and projected traffic demands.

As part of the project, an interchange at 360 and I-30, called Direct Connect, will be built. Formerly a toll loop interchange, the new infrastructure will include main lane improvements and direct connection ramps to each facility, improving the traffic flow of the area.

This project is split into five construction phases. The first phase is Six Flags Drive Bridge over I-30. This is the top priority because of existing maintenance issues on the bridge. The Direct Connect will be the second phase to be addressed.

This project, which is currently in the design phase, is expected to go out for bid before the end of the year.

South 360 Improvements to Include New Toll Road

Plans to build a new toll road serving south Arlington, Grand Prairie and Mansfield which should bring traffic-congestion relief to more than 52,000 daily drivers, moves one step closer to reality.

On Thursday, the Texas Transportation Commission chose Lane-Abrams Joint Venture as the developer to provide corridor improvements on South 360. The project will construct a 9.2-mile toll road between existing South 360 frontage roads south of I-20 to US 287 in Mansfield.

"These solutions are worth waiting for, and the City of Arlington is pleased that these significant investments are being made in Arlington and the surrounding areas," said Keith Melton, director of Public Works and Transportation for the City of Arlington. "Both projects will advance one of Arlington City Council"s priorities of enhancing regional mobility."

The South 360 project will build the main lanes from the end of the current highway at E. Sublett Road/W. Camp Wisdom Road to US 287 as a four-lane toll road. The project also will construct a northbound frontage road (non-tolled) from Heritage Parkway to US 287 and portions of the US 287/SH 360 interchange including frontage road bridges over the US 287 main lanes. The $300 million project will deliver continuous, non-tolled frontage roads throughout and will be constructed through a design-build approach providing needed safety improvements, congestion relief and greater economic development.

Construction is slated to begin in the fall of this year with the roadway completed as early as December 2017.