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Crews Work to Complete DNT South End Renovations The Dallas North Tollway (DNT) South End Project epitomizes the word “busy” as construction workers push to meet the end-of-summer completion date.
Two traffic lanes are open in each direction in the DNT’s southern gateway as construction crews work to repave the lanes. In the coming weeks, drivers will notice their lane assignments changing from old portions of the roadway to the newly completed pavement, with new portions being completed frequently.
“Motorists need to be aware of changes in lane assignments,” said Dennis Alsup, DNT South End Project Coordinator. “In some instances, they’re going to wake up one morning and be in a different lane than they were the night before. However, when the project is complete motorists will enjoy a smoother commute with improved mobility on the South end of the Dallas North Tollway.”
NTTA officials plan for the three main traffic lanes in each direction to be open by the end of August, the original completion date for the $50 million renovation project. Continuing improvements to the NTTA system, such as transitioning to all-Electronic Toll Collection, will result in additional work after August.
The NTTA has appreciated its customers’ patience during the necessary closures of the DNT’s Lemmon Avenue entrance and exit ramps.
Your patience is paying dividends: The Lemmon Avenue southbound entrance ramp reopened on April 22, 2008. The Lemmon Avenue northbound exit ramp also has been reconstructed and reopened to traffic on May 15, 2008.
Meanwhile, progress continues on the Oak Lawn Avenue Project. Workers are rebuilding Oak Lawn Avenue from Interstate Highway 35E to Maple Avenue, and construction of the DNT bridge over Oak Lawn Avenue is underway.
Conflicts with existing utilities, including one bundle of fiber optics that contained 16 different companies’ cables in it, has hampered some work, but those issues have been successfully resolved. Motorists on Oak Lawn have been moved to a portion of the new roadway, with more lane changes coming in the weeks ahead.
While work continues in the southern gateway, the NTTA is using a new electronic system to toll the Wycliff Main Lane Plaza. An electronic structure, called a gantry, located about one-quarter mile north of the old Wycliff Avenue Toll Plaza collects information from electronic transponders or license plates. Tolls are charged via TollTag transponders or ZipCash, a payment method for customers without a TollTag. ZipCash customers pay a higher rate due to a premium assessed to compensate for the cost of mailing out bills.
Please check the NTTA’s Web site, www.ntta.org, for more information about this, and other, NTTA projects and initiatives. |