As more and more people move to North Texas, the Texas Department of Transportation is launching the next phase of a major construction project to accommodate the growth.
Officials broke ground on segment two of the Interstate 30 expansion and improvement project happening over Lake Ray Hubbard.
“This road is how people travel, it's how they get here,” said Rockwall mayor Kevin Fowler during the groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday. “Roads aren’t top of mind until you’re sitting in traffic.”
The TxDOT project is widening the interstate and making improvements from Garland all the way to the Hunt County line. Over the lake portion of the interstate, crews will widen I-30 from six lanes to eight, add one-way frontage road bridges and reconstruct the Horizon Road interchange.
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Segment one started two years ago from Bass Pro Drive in Garland to Dalrock Road. This latest phase will impact the next section of the lake bridge between Dalrock Road and State Highway 205. The project was awarded to Williams Brothers Construction Co., Inc. for approximately $334 million.
"It's not every day that we build bridges across the lake. So that definitely takes a little bit longer and a little bit more specialty workers,” said Ceason Clemens, Dallas District Engineer for TxDOT. “But it’s something that we’ve done and we can tackle this one as well.“
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If everything goes as planned, there will be a total of three continuous work zones along I-30 from Bass Pro Drive in Dallas County to the Hunt County line. The third segment is expected to begin later this year.
That means commuters will need to prepare for even more construction work and periodic closures as the next segment ramps up soon.
"We do ask for drivers’ patience. We're going to have a lot of work going on. We're going to have a lot of people out there on the roads working, so stay off your phones. Slow down,” said Clemens.
ADJUSTING TO GROWTH
This project is part of the Texas Clear Lanes initiative, aimed at reducing congestion in major metropolitan areas.
“We’ve got to be ready for that growth. That’s the whole point of the Interstate 30 expansion,” said Clemens.
According to the U.S. Census, Texas’ population grew by 470,708 last year, the largest increase in the country. From 2010 to 2022, more than nine million people moved to the state.
Rockwall County was recently named the third fastest-growing county in the entire country in 2021. In 2022, its population grew by 5.7% to 123,208.
"That's a significant number of people in a very small area of a 12-mile square that we have,” said Rockwall county commissioner Dennis Bailey.
The area is desperate for an upgrade in accommodating the new residents and commuters.
"We know it's going to come with some growing pains, but we have a further vision of what this construction's going to do for us,” said Fowler.
One of Texas' transportation commissioners, Robert Vaughn, even flew in for the groundbreaking.
“All too often, major crashes on the I-30 bridge over Lake Ray Hubbard have resulted in major congestion. Paired with a booming population and increased roadway usage, this important stretch of I-30 needed a smart solution,” he said.
The original lake bridge was built in the 1960s and TxDOT believes the massive population growth in the area has made it inadequate. There are frequent bottlenecks, with commuters stuck in gridlock on the lake bridge even over fender benders.
“A reliever route doesn’t exist so you’re sitting and waiting until the incident gets cleared,” said Clemens.
They hope by adding continuous frontage roads along the lake portion of the interstate and even more main lanes, traffic can still cross the lake if there's an incident.
Mayor Fowler shared a personal experience his own wife had on Thursday morning.
“I got a text from my wife this morning. She left at 7 or 7:15 a.m. and told me her tire light was on. And about 8:15. She said, 'I am still on I-30 stuck in traffic trying to get to Sewell,'” he said. "I-30 is a favorite topic of discussion on social media. If you don't believe me, pull out your phone right now."
It will be a few more years until drivers see the end result. An estimated completion date is set for 2027.
"We're just going to have to endure it and smile. But know that when we are through with it, it's going to be so much better,” said Mayor Fowler.
