Possible 2021 start date ?
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In 2035, the average commuter in Dallas-Fort Worth will spend 140 hours stuck in traffic, compared to 45 hours today. And, road bottlenecks account for 40 percent of traffic congestion and delays in Texas according to the Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition. {{more: continue …}}?
no better bottleneck than here on Kennedale?s front door …
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With the explosive growth of Mansfield and southwest Arlington, Kennedale has been caught in the squeeze. At certain times of the day, Kennedale Parkway (Bus 287) looks like the on ramp to Hwy 360.
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As reported by the Star Telegram February 1, 2018 and mentioned multiple times by Kennedale Mayor Brian Johnson over the last several years, there are plans in the works to alleviate the growing backlog of traffic that surrounds the merger of South 820/US 287/I20 and spills over on secondary arteries like Bus 287, Sublett Road and Little School Road.?
The hitch has been to not only get the money to start the project but have enough to finish it as well. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) the project has a price tag of $1.16 billion. Johnson has said that the overall cost has been a significant challenge.
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However, TxDot has recently said that construction on the ?Southeast Corridor? project could began as early as 2021.
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The project could include additional main lanes, express lanes, entrance and exit ramp adjustments, frontage road intersection improvements, and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, TxDOT spokesman Val Lopez told the Star-Telegram.?
This is a huge project that includes not only highways around Kennedale but it goes from North East Mall to downtown Mansfield, although no final decisions have been made, Lopez said.
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Think of the current project on I-35 that stretches from downtown Ft Worth to Alliance, maybe not as many working parts but just as involved.
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Traffic counts climb ?
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Along Loop 820 just south of U.S. 287 interchange, traffic counts show that 140,339 vehicles a day use that stretch and then climb to 217,770 along I-20 just east of Loop 820. The counts, which were recorded in 2016, are a 24-hour average at a given location.
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We know the why, so maybe it will help tide us over during upcoming construction muddle that will follow.
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Mayor Johnson also serves on the Executive Committee for the Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition and serves as the Chair of the Southeast Tarrant Transportation Partnership.
