Drivers who use the Dallas North Tollway (DNT) will soon see temporary barriers and work zones between the Sam Rayburn Tollway and US 380 in Frisco. On August 17, the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) held a public informational session to inform local businesses and public officials about the upcoming construction.
The project includes widening the tollway, adding a fourth lane of travel in each direction of the DNT as well as ramp and intersection improvements. New entrance and exit ramps will be added north of Fields Parkway.
“These DNT improvements show NTTA’s commitment to meeting the mobility demands of a rapidly-expanding North Texas,” said NTTA Assistant Executive Director of Infrastructure Elizabeth Mow in an official statement.
The NTTA is set to start the project in August 2022 and construction is estimated to be completed in late 2025 (weather permitting).
As for the impact on traffic, currently, various left lane closures throughout the corridor are scheduled in off-peak hours to set temporary barriers and signage. Within the next 90 days, the NTTA is expected to begin the excavation in the median and the demolition of the existing Fields Parkway bridge.
Once construction has begun, speed limits between El Dorado Parkway and PGA Parkway will be reduced from 70 to 60 mph. Regardless of the speed limit reduction, drivers are asked to remain alert to changing conditions and to watch for construction vehicles entering and exiting the work zones during construction.
According to the NTTA’s official statement, the DNT widening project is the latest in a series of expansion projects in the area. Recently, a fourth lane was added to the Sam Rayburn Tollway in addition to the development of extra lanes on the President George Bush Turnpike between State Highway 78 in Garland and Interstate 20 in Grand Prairie.
In case you missed it, here's Local Profile's report on the development of the Grand Park in Frisco.