The President George Bush Turnpike Western Extension, formerly known as State Highway 161, provides a new, approximately 11.5-mile link in the growing loop around Dallas. The corridor consists of the tolled PGBT Western Extension main lanes and the SH 161 frontage roads. Phase 1, which includes the frontage roads from Carrier Parkway to Interstate 20; Phases 2 and 3 consisting of the tolled main lanes between SH 183 and I-30; and Phase 4 extending from north of I-30 to I-20 are now all open to traffic. The first phase of the Phase 4 project opened to traffic on Oct. 13, 2012.
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Construction update
On Nov. 20, the NTTA opened one of the two remaining direct connector ramps linking I-30 to the Western Extension of the President George Bush Turnpike. The westbound I-30 to southbound Western Extension connector opened just in time for Thanksgiving holiday traffic.
The remaining portions of the project, the westbound I-30 to northbound Western Extension direct connector and the SH 161 frontage road railroad crossings between Main and Jefferson streets, are scheduled to open by the end of the year.
Construction will continue as crews work to complete outstanding construction tasks.
Toll rates for the Western Extension are posted at www.ntta.org.
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Progress in Pictures
 | | Traffic entering southbound Western Extension from the westbound I-30 ramp |
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NTTA: Building a legacy of mobility
The NTTA didn't build the first toll road in North Texas, but it has built upon the legacy of responding to transportation needs while also putting North Texas drivers first.
The NTTA was established in 1997, long after the importance of toll roads to the region was recognized.
The Texas Turnpike Authority was created in 1953 to manage construction of a major thoroughfare between Dallas and Fort Worth. The TTA also was tasked with collecting tolls from drivers to repay bonds sold to finance the road's construction.
The men and women who helped form the NTTA out of the Texas Turnpike Authority shared a vision of enhancing mobility for drivers in this region by ensuring that tolls collected on roads in North Texas were reinvested in the region. When the NTTA took over the TTA's assets in North Texas, that vision became the roadmap for the NTTA, and it has stayed true to its mission.
Aside from adding 700 lane miles of safe and reliable toll roads to the North Texas landscape (and working to open additional lane miles), the NTTA has infused $3.4 billion into the region for non-tolled projects. Road enhancements and expansions funded by the NTTA are underway across the Metroplex.
Watch this short video to learn more about where the NTTA came from and where we're headed.
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Cashless tolling benefits drivers
 TollTag customers enjoyed the freedom of sailing past toll booths long before the NTTA converted to cashless tolling. But even TollTag customers gained new benefits with the conversion to cashless tolling, and the benefits are measurable. Learn more here. |
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Touchdown! How 'bout them Cowboys TollTags!
 Dallas Cowboys TollTags are on sale at area Dallas Cowboys Pro Shops and online at www.shopcowboys.com. Supplies are limited, so hurry and be one of the lucky ones with a Dallas Cowboys TollTag. To learn more, watch the Cowboys TollTag video or visit NTTA.org. |
