The Texas Department of Transportation is planning a major expansion to Texas 161 in Irving that would double the total number of lanes from four to eight in the area immediately south and north of Texas 183.
The additional lanes would be added within the framework of the existing highway, meaning no there would be a minimal impact to residential or commercial properties along 161, according to TxDOT.
The boundary of the project runs from Conflans Road on the south side of 183 to just north of Belt Line Road on the north side of 183, shortly before the entrance to the President George Bush Turnpike.
The project would cost an estimated $84 million, according to TxDOT, and would begin construction in 2018 with an estimated completion date in 2021.
In the short term, to alleviate the traffic buildup that happens regularly during the morning and afternoon rush hours, what TxDOT calls “peak traffic times,” the inside shoulder is opened to traffic and becomes a lane.
