The North Texas Tollway Authority is planning to lengthen the Dallas North Tollway, and two counties are fighting to make sure the extension doesn't pass them by.
The toll road starts near downtown Dallas and extends into Collin County. But where it goes next is up to the NTTA, which is expected to vote on extension plans Wednesday morning.
"There's going to be progress for the region," NTTA spokeswoman Sherita Coffelt said. "We're going to extend the tollway, and that's going to improve mobility and economic development for the North Texas region."
The plans could either send the DNT through Denton County, through Collin County or on a path that would follow the county line between the two counties.
In 2005, entities from both counties liked the idea of putting the route on the county line.
The southbound lanes would run in Denton County, while the northbound lanes would run in Collin County. The county-line path would allow both counties to share in the millions of dollars in potential tax revenue from the businesses that are expected to spring up once the road is built.
But in 2008, Collin County representatives voted for the extension to be entirely in their county.
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"Both Denton County and Collin County are well-experienced in the growth that a NTTA toll road brings to the community, and that's why the stakes are so high on this decision," Coffelt said.
Many residents of both counties said they are in favor of the county-line option.
"I'd rather see it right in the middle, because either way, if you go one way, one place is going to complain. The other way, other people are going to complain," Denton County resident John Gulley said.
Tiffany Cochran, a Collin County resident, agreed.
"You have residents that live in Denton County and that live in Collin County that live in Frisco, and I think both counties should benefit from it," she said.
The board meeting is scheduled for 8:30 am on Wednesday morning in Plano at NTTA headquarters on 5900 West Plano Parkway.
