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DNT South End Scheduled to Open for the Holidays As the holidays approach, one gift will arrive just in time: the completion of a $50 million project to renovate the oldest section of the Dallas North Tollway (DNT).
On Thursday, Nov. 20, the NTTA opened to traffic the much-anticipated new entrance and exit ramps on the Dallas North Tollway (DNT) at Oak Lawn Avenue.
The new ramps will provide an alternative access point to the DNT for homes and businesses located south of Mockingbird Lane. Additionally, the new southbound exit ramp at Oak Lawn Avenue will provide easier access to northbound IH 35E.
“The opening of the new ramps at Oak Lawn, combined with the widening of Oak Lawn Avenue, will improve mobility and provide added convenience in the area surrounding the south end of the DNT. We are pleased that this project is on schedule and that the ramps will be open in time for the busy holiday season,” said Paul N. Wageman, Chairman of the NTTA Board of Directors. “I want to thank our project partners and customers for their patience during construction of this much-needed renovation project.”
The opening of the new ramps is the latest milestone in the renovation to the original 40-year-old section of the DNT.
The renovation project began in May of 2006 and includes a variety of enhancements, including:
- replacing the Wycliff Avenue main lane plaza with a new all-electronic toll gantry;
- replacing the entire Cedar Springs bridge;
- replacing the center median barrier;
- removing the raised shoulder on the Wycliff and Maple Avenue bridges;
- overlaying and restriping the main lanes;
- widening Oak Lawn Avenue; and
- adding the new ramps at Oak Lawn Avenue.
After the ramps open, construction crews will remain at the South End of the DNT to complete the final elements of the project. The NTTA is confident it will complete the remainder of the project by the end of 2008.
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