Rayburn Interchange to Improve Mobility

The NTTA soon will begin building the much-anticipated Sam Rayburn Tollway (SRT)/Dallas North Tollway (DNT) interchange, which will feature eight new direct-connect bridges between the SRT and the DNT in the cities of Plano and Frisco in Collin County. The project involves completing fourth- and fifth-level ramp connections between the SRT and the DNT, adding new ramp access to the Legacy Business Park area and making local access improvements near the new SRT/DNT interchange.

For motorists, the new fully directional interchange will allow a continuous flow of traffic through a heavily traveled area, further improving regional mobility.

The NTTA advertised its largest construction contract on Oct. 22, 2009, to build the interchange.  Bids for the project, estimated in value at approximately $106 million, are expected to be opened on Nov. 24, 2009. The NTTA Board of Directors is expected to consider awarding the construction contract during its December 2009 meeting.

The NTTA anticipates that the new SRT/DNT interchange would open to traffic in January 2012.

The NTTA continues to make swift progress on the SRT corridor, which eventually will stretch 26 miles. The roadway features six main lanes and all-electronic toll collection.

Motorists are currently enjoying approximately 23 miles of SRT main lanes from Denton Tap Road in Coppell all the way north to Hardin Boulevard in McKinney and Allen.

The NTTA fully opened the newest SRT portion – a seven-mile extension known as Segment 3 – on Sept. 29, 2009, three months ahead of the completion date outlined in the authority’s project agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Segment 3 stretches from Hillcrest Road to Hardin Boulevard in Collin County.

Segment 3 was constructed primarily by the NTTA. The first two SRT segments, opened previously, extend from Denton Tap Road in Denton County to Hillcrest Road in Collin County and were constructed primarily by TxDOT.

As it moves forward with the new SRT/DNT interchange, the NTTA is already building another interchange in the corridor’s easternmost project limits. The NTTA’s construction of Segment 4, a new four-level interchange at SRT and U.S. 75, is about 40 percent complete. Segment 4 is expected to open to traffic in January 2011.