What’s down the road

The new year is expected to bring the end of several major road projects in North Texas and the beginning of others.

In Coppell, reconstruction of S. Belt Line Road from Denton Tap Road to I-635 is set to begin in the summer. The project consists of paving, drainage and utility improvements.

Plantation Drive and Mossy Oaks Street will be reconstructed. This project is set to begin in early 2021.

Pavement reconstruction on Cambria Drive and Wise Way is also expected to begin in 2021.

The Airline Drive project, which includes concrete replacement, utility upgrades and sidewalk improvements, is set to be complete in the winter of 2021.

The Sam Rayburn Tollway addition of a fourth lane in each direction is scheduled to be complete in late 2021, according to Michael Rey, North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) media relations manager.

Rey said the addition of a fourth lane in each direction on President George Bush Turnpike from Interstate 35E to Belt Line Road is scheduled to be complete in late 2021.

To the north, one of most significant road projects to begin next year is US 380.

In January, crews are expected to begin a project from Loop 288 in Denton to the US 380/US 377 intersection to add medians, left-turn lanes and right-turn lanes and to re-stripe the existing lanes for shared use.

An even bigger project is planned for the highway later in the year. TxDOT expects to go out for bid on a project that will widen US 380 from four to six lanes from US 377 to County Road 26 in Collin County. There will be grade separations at FM 423, FM 720, Navo Road, Teel Parkway and Legacy Drive.

Emily McCann, public information officer for TxDOT, said this will be important to improve the traffic flow on US 380 as motorists who are not going to the intersections will be able to drive straight through on US 380.

“The US 380 improvement project kicking off in 2021 will improve mobility by widening and increasing the number of travel lanes and adding grade separations at several major intersections,” McCann said. “This project will also create a more pedestrian friendly corridor with safer access to businesses and schools with the addition of medians and sidewalks.”