The United States Department of Transportation announced a $531 million loan for an improvement project designed to help ease Interstate 35W congestion.
The project will target more than 12 miles of freeway between Interstate 30 and Loop 820 along I-35W.
Plans include reconstruction of general purpose lanes and interchanges to bring them up to current design standards and go above that to add managed lanes in both directions. Those managed lanes will be available for drivers to use as toll lanes, but can be used by buses for free.
The USDOT said every day 100,000 vehicles travel the segment of road that will be reconstructed.
Total cost for the project is budgeted at $1.6 billion.
