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Southwest Parkway Impasse May Require Action Before Federal Board In its efforts to continue improving mobility in Tarrant County, specifically by building the Southwest Parkway project, the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) and its partners have held a series of meeting over the last two months with officials from Union Pacific Railroad (UPPR). The meetings were held in an effort to resolve outstanding design elements and right-of-way acquisition issues.
As of April 16, the discussions had not resulted in an agreement satisfactory to all involved. As a result, the NTTA Board of Directors granted approval for the Authority’s executive director to go to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) if the issue cannot be resolved by May 7. During the discussion of the resolution, Doug Rademaker, P.E., Director of the City of Fort Worth’s Engineering Department, told the NTTA Board that the Fort Worth City Council was in support of this action, if it is needed.
The STB is a federal agency charged with resolving issues related to railroads. A part of the Interstate Commerce Commission, the STB is both an adjudicatory and a regulatory body.
A proposed six-lane facility, the Southwest Parkway, will connect the city of Fort Worth’s Central Business District at IH 30 initially south to Altamesa Boulevard in the southwest portion of Fort Worth. The 8.4 mile toll road project is currently under design. Planning is also continuing on another 19 mile addition to the corridor to U.S. 67 in the city of Cleburne in Johnson County.
The Southwest Parkway is being designed as an all-electronic toll road and will feature reduced speeds to incorporate a “parkway feel” for customers using the facility.
Letting dates for the first project sections are scheduled for this summer.
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