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New Sam Rayburn Tollway Interchanges on the Horizon With the newest segment of the Sam Rayburn Tollway (SRT) fully open to traffic, the NTTA is focusing on the corridor’s two major interchanges.
For one of those projects, the NTTA is expected to start advertising a construction contract in October 2009 to build direct-connect bridges between the SRT and Dallas North Tollway (DNT).
The addition of eight direct-connect bridges between the SRT and the DNT will allow a continuous flow of traffic through this heavily traveled area, further improving regional mobility. The construction contract is anticipated to be awarded in December 2009. Known as Segment 5, this new interchange is scheduled to open to traffic by January 2012.
Meanwhile, the NTTA’s construction of the new four-level interchange at SRT and U.S. 75 in McKinney, Allen and Fairview is well under way.
Initial work on the SRT/U.S. 75 interchange – known as Segment 4 – began in late December 2008. The project is approximately 35 percent complete.
During past months, crews made headway in several areas:
• set beams for multiple spans of the SRT bridge over U.S. 75;
• set beams and began placing the deck for the Hardin Boulevard bridges;
• built dozens of columns and caps for the direct-connector ramps that will join U.S. 75 and the SRT, giving the public a preview of the shape of things to come; and
• paved the main lanes west of Hardin, the northbound service road of Spur 399 east of U.S. 75, and a portion of the west half of the Medical Center intersection.
Workers are now placing subgrade in preparation for laying concrete paving on many of the frontage roads.
Crews recently set the beams for the SRT bridges over southbound U.S. 75, allowing workers to enter a new project phase, during which they’ll place beams over northbound U.S. 75 for the remainder of the bridges.
To accommodate this new phase of interchange construction, traffic on northbound U.S. 75 was shifted onto the south side of the highway in late September 2009. Two lanes of travel in both directions are maintained, and traffic is separated by a concrete safety barrier. The exit to State Highway 5 off U.S. 75 was moved approximately one mile south of its usual location.
This traffic switch will last an estimated three to six months or longer, during which drivers will notice direct-connect ramps being constructed between SRT and U.S. 75. Crews will also work on the interchange’s loop ramps.
Drivers should note that the traffic switch that began at the end of September 2009 will be the first of three lane movements on U.S. 75 before the new four-level interchange is complete and open to traffic in January 2011.
The second traffic switch will move southbound U.S. 75 traffic onto the northbound side of the highway. The third and final switch will move all U.S. 75 traffic to the southbound side, once again, before all lanes return to their normal traffic flow.
The NTTA will provide more information in the future as it continues to coordinate with its partners – the Texas Department of Transportation and the corridor cities – on all changes to traffic patterns.
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