 Dear Friends,
Oak Cliff is on the move! With the new streetcar route set to open in 2014, bridge closings paving the way to new and improved road systems, and the expansion of the DART Blue Line's South Oak Cliff Corridor, it's no wonder that so many great things are happening in Oak Cliff.
The Chamber has been working diligently to find a way to extend the new streetcar line that will link downtown to Oak Cliff, into the Bishop Arts and Jefferson Boulevard areas. In April the Chamber, along with a few other Oak Cliff business owners, met with the DART board to discuss an expansion of DART's Route 21 shuttle bus to include a Davis-Edgefield-Jefferson loop. This loop would pass by some of Oak Cliff's prime dining and entertainment areas including the Bishop Arts District, Kessler Theater, Texas Theatre, and Jefferson Boulevard. The DART Board is set to vote on the issue at the end of May--stay tuned as we find out more about this exciting possibility.
In addition, the ground-breaking ceremony for the Horseshoe Project occurred on April 26 and, for the next 4 years, southern Dallas residents will see a lot of changes in the I-30/I-35 corridor. The project will upgrade the I-30 and I-35 bridges that cross the Trinity River, as well as a portion of the Mixmaster. Aptly dubbed the "Horseshoe Project" due to its U-shape, it has been given the highest priority due to the increasing bridge maintenance costs and includes I-30 from Sylvan Avenue to I-35E and I-35E from north of Eighth Street to the I-30/I-35 interchange in Dallas. While this initiative is a project of Texas Department of Transportation, it is being funded by a variety of sources, including federal highway dollars and private funds.
The proposed $818 million project will include the following improvements:
- Roadway design upgrade in the Mixmaster
- Replacement of I-30 and I-35E bridges over the Trinity River
- Construction of additional lanes
- Construction of the Margaret McDermott bridge on I-30
- Direct access from eastbound I-30 to southbound I-35
One innovative aspect of the project is that the contractors will use the design-build method of completing the project. Delivering projects through design-build is not new in the construction industry; however, it is a new tool for TxDOT. It means that construction can occur on one portion of the project event though the design work has not been completed on another. Click here to learn more. With all these exciting transportation-related projects happening in the area, we think it only appropriate to highlight these initiatives at our biggest event of the year: the 2013 Annual Gala. Please join us Friday, June 28, 2013 at Gilley's Dallas for an evening of dinner, live & silent auction, VIP reception, music, entertainment and much more as we celebrate "Oak Cliff on the Move." Doors open at 6:30pm and tickets may be purchased on the Chamber website at www.gala.oakcliffchamber.org We hope to see you there! Sincerely, Scott Chase, Lawyer 2013 Board of Directors Chair |
