Who is building the CTP and what is in it for them?
After many years of talking about it, the CTP from Cleburne to near downtown Fort Worth is now being built. Some may ask, "Who is building it, and what's in it for them?"
The NTTA, working with several partners including TxDOT, Johnson and Tarrant counties and the cities of Cleburne, Burleson and Fort Worth, is building the 28-mile CTP.
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.
The NTTA is not a private company or corporation. It is a political subdivision of the State of Texas that is authorized to acquire, construct, maintain, repair and operate turnpike projects in the North Texas region. The nine member board is comprised of two representatives from each of the following counties: Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant. The Commissioners Courts select their two representatives on the board. The ninth member is appointed by the governor. Kenneth Barr, the former mayor of Fort Worth, serves as board chairman.
The NTTA has the first option to develop toll roads planned in North Texas. When a proposed roadway's feasibility does not support tolling, the NTTA may choose not to take on the project.
NTTA toll projects are not a part of the state highway system. The NTTA does not receive tax revenue for its operations; however, our partner cities, which do collect sales taxes, frequently buy right of way for the roads. The donation of that property is seen as an investment for those cities, which they later realize through increased property values along the roadway corridor.
The NTTA is able to raise capital for construction projects through the issuance of turnpike revenue bonds. Tolls are collected to repay those bonds and to operate and maintain the roadways.
The NTTA's administrative offices are located in Plano. Our employees live throughout the North Texas area.
In short: The CTP is being built by Texans working to keep Texans moving!
