North Texans planning to visit the Fort Worth Zoo during spring break will not need to worry about Chisholm Trail Parkway related construction. Through its community outreach efforts, NTTA staff is meeting with organizers of Fort Worth's key events to ensure construction does not impact these activities.

Visitors to the zoo will be able to access the facility using their normal route. With more than 120,000 visitors during spring break last year, attendees may want to consider using The T's Safari Shuttle. The shuttle leaves every 30 minutes from the Intermodal Transit Center (ITC) Rail Station, 1001 Jones St. in downtown Fort Worth. Detailed information may be found by visiting www.the-t.com/SafariShuttleFortWorthZoo.aspx.

Drivers also may consider using Interstate 35W as an alternate route. Take I-35W, head west on Berry Street to University Drive.

For more information about the zoo's spring break activities, please visit www.fortworthzoo.org.

Commuters traveling northbound on Hulen Street may have noticed trucks with large metal structures being staged near Bellaire Drive. These structures are steel girders for the new Hulen Street bridge. Motorists should expect periodic closures of the right northbound lane of Hulen Street between Overton Terrace Court and Ranchview Road through early April. 

The NTTA staff will host another round of Business Information Group (B.I.G.) meetings the week of March 26.

* Interstate 30/Downtown Fort Worth - March 26, 2 p.m., Fort Worth Botanic Gardens, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd.

* South Fort Worth - March 27, 2 p.m., Tarrant County Southwest Sub-Courthouse, 6551 Granbury Road

* Hulen Street Bridge - March 29, 2 p.m., Southwest Regional Library, 4001 Library Lane

The B.I.G.s are designed to keep business owners and managers current with project progress. If you are interested in joining one or all of the B.I.G.s, please send a note to ChisholmTrail@ntta.org or call (817) 916-5105.

As work continues on the north- and southbound CTP main lanes near the Union Pacific Railroad's Davidson Yard, crews plan to close Vickery Boulevard between Hulen Street and Micki Lynn Avenue from 8 p.m. on March 22, through 5 a.m. on March 23, and from 8 p.m. on March 23, through 5 a.m. March 24.

Traffic will be detoured as follows:

* Eastbound traffic will be detoured north onto Micki Lynn Avenue, west to Kilpatrick Avenue, north to Eldridge Street, east to Donnelly Avenue, south to Hulen Street and east to Vickery Boulevard.
 

* Westbound traffic will be detoured north to Hulen Street, west to Donnelly Avenue, south to Eldridge Street, east to Kilpatrick Avenue, south to Micki Lynn Avenue and west to Vickery Boulevard.

As work begins on the construction of the 13 miles of the Chisholm Trail Parkway in Johnson County, the NTTA would like to remind local residents that we continue to encourage their involvement in this project. The hotline for Johnson County is now activated. Please call (817) 202-9384 if you have any questions or concerns regarding the Johnson County portion of the project. Questions and comments also may be emailed to chisholmtrail@ntta.org.