The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA), in coordination with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Dallas District and the cities of Garland, Rowlett, and Sachse hosted an open house public meeting to discuss design and operational changes to the Eastern Extension, which stretches from State Highway (SH) 78 to Interstate Highway (IH) 30 in eastern Dallas County on Jan. 29. The public meeting was held at the Plaza Theater, (521 W. State Street) in the city of Garland, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The approximately 10-mile, new location facility will expand the regional transportation system by improving mobility, reducing congestion, and improving the connectivity of roadways within Dallas County.

 

At the meeting, design and operational changes that have occurred since the Federal Highway Administration issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Eastern Extension of the President George Bush Turnpike Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Section 4(f) Evaluation on January 24, 2005 were presented. The modifications in design and operation involve acquiring additional right-of- way,changes in some cross street locations and designs, and changing from an optional cash and electronic toll collection facility to a fully electronic toll collection facility. The cross streets to be discussed include: the Liberty Grove Road/Merritt Road Connector, Main Street, and Interstate Highway 30.

 

The estimated cost of the Eastern Extension is $1.04 billion and the opening date for all sections of the toll road is anticipated for 2011.