Things are about to get worse before they get better along the most congested part of the Dallas North Tollway.
The North Texas Tollway Authority will spend $525 million to add and widen lanes on the DNT, President George Bush Turnpike and Sam Rayburn Tollway.
Now, the speed limit along the project is down from 70 to 60 mph and will stay that way even after its completion, which is expected in early 2018, officials said.
"The traffic is horrible," said driver Trina Paddack. "We had our A/C going, and it was stop and go, stop and go, stop and go, made where the check engine light came on."
The project will also smooth out the north side of the interchange from the PGBT to the DNT.
"We're going to change the weave, eliminate that, and we're also going to widen the lanes on the north side to make on and off access a lot easier," said NTTA spokesman Michael Rey.
Construction signs and barriers are already going up along the DNT, and work is getting underway.
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At the same time, tolls along the entire NTTA system will go up beginning July 1 to help pay off NTTA debt.
"Some will go to the construction project as well, depending on our collection rates," said Rey.
Given the daily backups now, drivers can't wait for the tollway fix.
"I think that's a great, great, great, great thing they're doing, and I would even pay them more to hurry up and fix it," said Paddack.
