In a bid to mend communities fractured by major roadways, the North Central Texas Council of Governments, in collaboration with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), has secured an $80 million grant. The funding aims to support projects that reconnect neighborhoods previously separated by highways.
Of the total grant, $20 million each has been allocated to Interstate Highway 30 (Dallas IH 30) and Klyde Warren Park. Additionally, Southern Gateway Park will receive $25 million, while State Highway 5 (McKinney SH 5) will benefit from $15 million.
The Dallas IH 30 project, situated south of downtown Dallas and north of Old City Park, will focus on installing support structures for three pedestrian caps/parks. The construction timeline will coincide with TxDOT’s reconstruction of IH 30.
For Klyde Warren and Southern Gateway projects, the funding will fuel the second phase of construction for existing pedestrian crossings. In Klyde Warren Park, Phase II aims to extend an existing pedestrian cap/deck park, creating more space between Pearl Street and west of Akard Street. Meanwhile, Southern Gateway Park will witness a five-acre expansion of its current deck park, offering pavilions, green spaces, and enhanced multimodal transportation access.
In the case of McKinney SH 5, the grant will facilitate the construction of a below-bridge pedestrian plaza within the corridor. This plaza will provide safe pedestrian and bicycle access across the highway, bridging Historic Downtown McKinney and disadvantaged East McKinney neighborhoods. Moreover, it will establish a vital link between downtown McKinney and the future City Hall.
