Over the next several years, north Tarrant County will see roughly $1.5 billion of investments to “build a spine” of improved roads and highways. The goal is to lessen the bottlenecks along Interstate 35W, U.S. 287, Loop 820, Avondale-Haslet Road, Bonds Ranch Road and Boat Club Road.
Though it is not the final solution, planners hope to get ahead of the thousands of houses slated for the area. Money to fund the project will come from a combination of federal and state grants, Tarrant County, Fort Worth and TxDOT, officials said during a public meeting March 12 in far north Fort Worth.
AllianceTexas smart bridge
Hillwood is leading a project for AllianceTexas to construct a “smart port” that will make it easier for trucks and freight to exchange products. An $80 million federal grant is funding part of the $262 million project.
Hillwood estimates the annual truck traffic of 4.2 million vehicles will double at the BNSF Railway Alliance Intermodal Facility by 2035. Autonomous vehicles will use the Spur 170 smart bridge that connects Interstate 35W at Texas 170 to Intermodal Parkway, bypassing the roads residents use. Construction on the $103 million bridge will begin in spring 2029.
Relieving Haslet traffic
The Haslet Parkway connection between the city and Intermodal Parkway was partially finished in 2023, but has been put on pause to determine what should be done to cross the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks parallel to Blue Mound Road. Construction will continue with either a “short bridge” or a “long bridge,” depending on federal funding. Both options connect Haslet Parkway to Avondale-Haslet Road.
The state has denied funding for the long bridge. Michael Morris, the NCTCOG director of transportation, said the plans might have been submitted to the federal government, but he won’t know for a couple of weeks. If the project does not receive money from the federal government, the plan will revert to the initial short bridge design. Morris said he will ask TxDOT to expedite the process as soon as a plan is decided. The $72.6 million Avondale-Halset Road construction began March 2 and is expected to finish in fall 2028. Once completed, the two-lane road will be a four-lane divided road with sidewalks on either side. Traffic signals will be added at Willow Springs Road North, Willow Springs Road South and Sendera Ranch Blvd.
