Motorists will soon have the option to shorten their daily commute between Denton and Dallas when the North Texas Tollway Authority’s (NTTA) Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge (LLTB) opens to traffic Saturday, Aug. 1, creating an east west connection between Interstate Highway 35E and the Dallas North Tollway.

 

The bridge is scheduled to open to traffic on schedule on Saturday afternoon following the community-led “Run the Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge” 5K run and family fun walk scheduled to begin at 8 and 10 a.m., respectively. A NTTA dedication ceremony marking the opening of the bridge is planned for Thursday, July 30, at 9 a.m.

 

Construction on the much-anticipated LLTB began in late 2006. It features two lanes in each direction and an all-electronic toll collection (all-ETC) system on the project’s western approach. With all-ETC, drivers will not have to stop or look for change to pay the toll needed to drive over the bridge. 

 

The toll rate for two axle vehicles will be $1 for TollTag drivers and the higher ZipCash rate of $1.50 for drivers without a TollTag.

 

The LTTB design also boasts a lighted, semi-circular arch near the center of the bridge that is tied together 58 feet above the top of the bridge deck, spanning all four lanes. Also at its center, the 8-foot-thick bridge deck structure sits 52 feet above the Lewisville Lake spillway elevation, meaning that the top of the arch soars 118 feet above the lake surface. 

 

As part of a regional effort, the NTTA is working cooperatively with Denton County, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the cities of Frisco, Little Elm and Lake Dallas to build the 13.8-mile Lewisville Lake corridor project, which includes the LLTB. In April, the NTTA Board of Directors approved interlocal agreements with Denton County and the Town of Little Elm to make improvements to roadways approaching the toll bridge. The entire corridor is expected to be completed in summer 2013.  

For more information on the LLTB or other NTTA projects, please visit www.ntta.org. For more information about the run event, visit www.runlltb.com.