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October 2005 • Volume 2, Issue 10 This issue home | Past issues | Chamber home NTTA Opens Bush Turnpike Super Connector Segment Provides Quicker Route Between Richardson, Airport
The much-anticipated 5.4-mile Segment IV Super Connector of the President George Bush Turnpike (PGBT) between IH-35E and IH-635 was officially opened Friday, Sept. 9 by the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA). Richardson residents and businesses were among the thousands of North Texas drivers who cheered this transportation milestone and achievement. “For companies interested in locating within the Metroplex, where proximity or quick access to DFW Airport is an important consideration, the Super Connector helps Richardson market itself as a prime site for consideration,” said John Jacobs, senior vice-president of economic development for the Richardson Chamber of Commerce. “This new link, plus the other transportation routes (PGBT, LBJ, 75, DART) all around us, when added to Richardson's other strengths (workforce, education, corporate environment, business-friendly government, and quality of life) make the City very attractive,” Jacobs said. “I drove from Richardson to the airport using this route the other day and got there in 25 minutes,” said Ernest Randall of the Vantage Companies, co-chair of the Chamber's Growth and Mobility committee. “And I didn't get stopped for breaking any traffic laws along the way either,” Randall added. In just over two-and-a-half years from the start of construction, the Super Connector now completes a 30.5 mile connection between State Highway 78 in Garland to State Highway 161 in Irving, passing through the cities of Richardson, Plano, Carrollton and Farmers Branch. Previously, motorists traveling to the DFW Airport from the North Dallas area had to take State Highway 121 or Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway-635, to the airport. They will now have the choice to continue west on the Bush Turnpike to State Highway 161, connecting with State Highway 183 at the south entrance of the airport, shaving off possibly 15 minutes or more of their drive time. NTTA held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday evening, Sept. 8, and this new segment of the PGBT was officially open to traffic for the Friday, Sept. 9 evening rush-hour. Now, this six-lane, north-south controlled-access toll road segment (with space available for future expansion) connects seven cities and three counties, resulting in a continuous 30.5-mile turnpike. The project cost for the Super Connector, $338 million, was substantially less than the estimates made prior to the start of construction. More than 80,000 motorists a day are expected to choose the Super Connector as their new route. In January 2003, the North Texas Tollway Authority broke ground for the three-year construction of the Super Connector along with officials from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Dallas County, Farmers Branch, Carrollton, Irving and the Valwood Improvement Authority. Participation by all of these entities was vital in making this project a success. The Super Connector was scheduled to be open to traffic in January 2006. In January 2005, however, the schedule of completion was moved forward to October 2005 and then to September 2005 when it became clear that the contractors, the weather and the environmental elements had all worked in the favor of the NTTA. The Super Connector faced many environmental challenges. Most of the right of way was located in the Trinity River floodplain; there were three landfills to cross; there was the possibility an endangered bird would nest in its path; significant wetland mitigation had to occur and thousands of new trees and shrubs had to be planted. This project improves the integrity of the Trinity River ecosystem, which it parallels. In order to address environmental commitments and meet the aggressive construction schedule, the NTTA developed an unprecedented team of environmental specialists and consultants termed the Environmental Excellence Team (EET). The EET even monitored the behaviors and activities of the endangered bird (called the interior least tern), which used many areas within the construction site. |
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