The plan to expand the SH 183 corridor through Irving has been in the works since 1998. It’s been 16 years of planning, impact studies and fund raising. Some political agendas can also be added to the list hurdles that had to be overcome for this needed project. The “interim” phase of the project is set to begin “late 2014” according to the city of Irving. Does “late 2014” mean November or December? It seems we can’t get clear answer for city officials. For a city that claims complete transparency, it’s hard to get a specific answer to simple questions regarding this project.
The one date we did manage to get is a completion estimate date of 2019. The “interim” phase includes the reconstruction of portions of frontage roads and portions of the general purpose lanes. More emphasis will be given to the westbound lanes in this initial phase. It will also include the construction of one managed toll lane in each direction.
This “interim” phase will include 13.5 miles of SH 183 from SH 121 in Euless to I-35E, SH 114 from SH183 to Rochelle Rd (2.1 miles), Loop 12 from SH 183 to I-35E (2.3 miles) and SH 114 from Rochelle Rd to International Parkway (8.2 miles).
The estimated cost of this “interim”phase is $850 million, plus $200 million for the initial right-of-way acquisition. The right-of-way (ROW) acquisition is the purchase of private property along the highway that will be needed for the expansion.
The ultimate project scope is to add one general purpose lane in each direction, up to three managed toll lanes in each direction, continuous frontage roads and the Diamond Interchange completion.
