News from the North Texas Tollway Authority - Chisholm Trail Parkway Update

Chisholm Trail Parkway is a 27.6-mile toll road that will extend from Tarrant County to Johnson County, starting from Fort Worth's central business district at Interstate 30 and continuing to U.S. 67 in Cleburne. The NTTA began initial construction in April 2010 on Section 2C, one of the northernmost sections of the project, located in Fort Worth near Union Pacific Railroad's Davidson Yard. In March 2010, the Texas Department of Transportation began construction of Section 3A, a $117 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act project. Section 3A consists of local access improvements to Interstate 20/State Highway 183 (Southwest Boulevard) at CTP. Construction of the remaining project sections is underway. The entire CTP project is anticipated to open to traffic in spring 2014.
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The BIG Why

Support piers for the new Hulen Street bridge

and the CTP main lanes

Why are two sets of piers for the Hulen Street Bridge - the ones right next to the Chisholm Trail Parkway lanes - so much sturdier and designed differently than the rest of the piers?

Part of the answer stems from recommendations made by the City of Fort Worth's Citizen Advisory Group regarding the aesthetic components of the parkway, that included separate support structures for the north and southbound CTP main lanes when possible. This is the case where the CTP intersects with the Hulen Street bridge.

On the other hand, the new Hulen Street bridge has one pier per location supporting the full width of the roadway.

When determining pier configuration, including what type of pier cap--standard rectangular versus inverted T-cap--the roadway designer takes several factors into consideration, including vertical clearance, roadway elevation, available column location, adjacent span lengths, column spacing and design preferences.

The difference in column sizes are based on the height of the column, adjoining span lengths (load the column must support) and the number of columns per pier. Round columns were used for some locations within the Union Pacific Railroad's Davidson Yard to decrease formwork (molds used to pour concrete for columns) installation time.

Do you have a burning question about the CTP? Send a note to ChisholmTrail@ntta.org.

Upcoming Business Information Group Meetings

Interstate 30/Downtown Fort Worth

2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 20

Fort Worth Botanic Garden Center

3220 Botanic Garden Blvd.

South Fort Worth

2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18

South Hills Baptist Church

7350 Granbury Road

Hulen Street bridge

2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20

Arborlawn United Methodist Church

5001 Briarhaven Road

Upcoming closures and activity

Work along Rutledge Road to begin this week

Crews will begin work along Rutledge Road this week. A cul-de-sac will be constructed just west of the future Montgomery Street extension, making Rutledge Road a "dead-end" street. Construction will restrict traffic along Rutledge Road to local businesses and deliveries only; through traffic will be detoured to Vickery Boulevard.

Closures along University Drive

Crews closed the left lane of north- and southbound University Drive between I-30 and the Union Pacific Railroad at 5 a.m. today. During the closure, crews will reconstruct the center median. Work is expected to be complete and the lanes reopened to traffic by Aug. 28.

Permanent closure of westbound I-30 frontage road between 11th and 15th avenues

As work continues on I-30 and the CTP, crews will permanently close the westbound I-30 frontage road between 11th Avenue and 15th Avenue at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 15.

The frontage road east of 11th Avenue and the entrance ramp to I-30 westbound will remain open. Traffic will be detoured to Forest Park Boulevard via 11th Avenue to West Broadway Street to 15th Avenue and then to Peter Smith Street.

The closure is necessary as crews begin work on the new frontage road over the Fort Worth and Western Railroad.

In addition to this closure, the intersections of Peter Smith Street and 14th Avenue and Wenneca Avenue at 11th Avenue will be closed beginning Wednesday, Aug. 15. Work in this area is expected to last approximately three months.

Eastbound SH 183 and westbound I-20 frontage road closures

Crews will close the eastbound State Highway 183 frontage road just east of the second entrance to Kohl's beginning at 7 a.m. Monday, Aug. 20. This closure is expected to last through Nov. 21.

For more information about upcoming lane closures and traffic-related news along NTTA roadways, go to the "Scheduled Lane Closures" listing at www.ntta.org or call (817) 207-0184.

Progress in Pictures

Utility

Utility relocations are underway in Section 6 of the CTP in Johnson County. Here are underground electrical lines being moved

to accommodate the new toll road.

NTTA updates the Top Toll Violators list

More than 600 people removed from list

The North Texas Tollway Authority has updated its Top Toll Violators webpage containing the names of individuals who owe 100 or more outstanding tolls. Since the launch of the webpage on July 11, approximately 655 people have paid their outstanding debt in full or have entered into payment arrangements. The NTTA is also in discussions with a number of others.

To ensure payment from all toll road users, the NTTA is offering a lump sum payment option and an extended payment plan to those on the list. Under both plans, the violator must open a TollTag account for future tolls and keep the account in good standing.

The Top Toll Violators list, frequently asked questions, information on the payment options and other customer service information can be found at Customer Information> Billing & Payment> Top Toll Violators.

NTTA Welcomes Grand Prairie Tourist Center

GP logo

The North Texas Tollway Authority welcomes the city of Grand Prairie as its newest Regional TollTag Partner. New TollTag accounts now can be opened for customers at the Teri Jackson Tourist Information Center, located at 2170 N. Belt Line Road in Grand Prairie. The tourist center sits in front of Lone Star Park and Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie.

Open a $40 pre-paid TollTag account with a debit or credit card at the tourist center for up to three vehicles. A TollTag allows you to save 50 percent when crossing the Mountain Creek Lake Bridge and other tollways in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. A TollTag also can save you time and money by using it for parking and passing through Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

For all other TollTag related questions, please visit www.ntta.org. For additional information on the Teri Jackson Tourist Information Center, please call 1-800-288-8FUN (8386).

Get a TollTag Today!

Avoid fees. Avoid notices. Avoid the hassle...by simply opening a TollTag account and save up to 50 percent off the Zip Cash rate. Sign up today at https://csc.ntta.org/olcsc/.