History of Interstate 30 in Texas

Fort Worth

The city of Fort Worth had two priorities for construction in the late 1940s, the South Freeway (I-35W) and the West Freeway (I-30). Construction began on this highway in 1948, and the first section was opened on September 3, 1951, west of Downtown Fort Worth. The remainder of the route in the built-up area of ​​Fort Worth was opened until 1960, and continued west of the city to I-20 in 1966 and 1975. In 1975, the interchange between I-30 and I-820 west of Fort Worth opened to traffic. In the 1980s, the West Freeway was widened to 2×4 lanes. The highway still has a space reservation for 2×5 lanes.

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Dallas – Fort Worth Turnpike

The Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike was a 50-mile toll road connecting the two cities, in service from 1957 to 1977, after which the road became part of Interstate 30. It is the only connection between downtown Fort Worth and Dallas. The construction had already been proposed in 1944, but construction started in 1955. The 50 kilometers was already ready for traffic in 1957. By 1977 toll revenues had exceeded construction costs, and the road came under the control of the Texas Department of Transportation, thus making it toll-free. The highway was numbered I-20 until 1971, when the current I-20 opened south of I-30.

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Dallas – Texarkana

I-30 was built between Dallas and Texarkana since the 1950s. Already in the early 1950s there was a double-lane section from Greenville to Sulfur Springs, but it is unclear whether this was already a freeway at that time. I-30 is built right over US 67 between Greenville and Sulfur Springs. As early as 1960, I-30 was accessible from Dallas to Sulfur Springs. In the mid-1960s, I-30 opened between Sulfur Springs and Mount Pleasant, as well as from New Boston to Texarkana. The last section of I-30 between Mount Pleasant and New Boston opened to traffic in 1970 or 1971.

Opening history

Fort Worth
From Unpleasant Length Opening
Montgomery Street Summit Avenue 2.9 km 03-09-1951
Camp Bowie Boulevard Montgomery Street 3.2 km 10-11-1951
Summit Avenue Henderson Street 0.5 km 02-06-1954
Alta Mere Drive Camp Bowie Boulevard 3.5 km 01-12-1955
Henderson Street Lamar Street 0.5 km 29-03-1958
Lamar Street I-35W 1.2 km 17-03-1960
Camp Bowie West Boulevard Alta Mere Drive 8.0 km 00-00-1966
I-20 Camp Bowie West Boulevard 4.5 km 00-00-1975
Dallas
From Unpleasant Length Opening
I-35W I-35E 48.3 km 27-08-1957
Ferguson Road Jim Miller Road 2.2 km 00-00-1961
Jim Miller Road rock wall 26.7 km 00-00-1962
Grand Avenue Ferguson Road 2.7 km 20-10-1962
Carroll Avenue Grand Avenue 1.4 km 20-02-1963
Malcolm X Boulevard Carroll Avenue 1.9 km 02-10-1964
I-35E Akard Street 1.1 km 00-00-1965
Akard Street Malcolm X Boulevard 1.6 km 28-04-1966
Dallas – Texarkana
From Unpleasant Length Opening
Greenville cumby 25 km ~1954
Sulfur Springs (west) Sulfur Springs (East) 11 km ~1957
rock wall Royse City 16 km ~1957
Royse City Greenville 31 km ~1959
cumby Sulfur Springs (west) 13 km ~1959
Sulfur Springs (East) weaver 13 km ~1964
weaver Mount Pleasant (US 271) 44 km ~1966
New Boston (U.S.82) Texarkana (state line) 40 km ~1966
Mount Pleasant New Boston 60 km ~1970

Later adjustments

Reconstruction in Fort Worth

The Fort Worth Mixmaster with the I-35W.

The interchange between I-30 and I-35W at Downtown Fort Worth, otherwise known as the “Mixmaster,” opened partially in 1958 and wholly in 1960. It was the first four-level interchange in Texas. The Mixmaster was built according to the design requirements of the 1950s, with tight connecting roads and left-hand in and out. The space required by the node was relatively limited. The interchange was significantly reconstructed in the early 2000s, in fact completely newly built with a much larger capacity. The reconstruction was completed in 2003.

Also known as the West Freeway in Fort Worth, I-30 was constructed to 1940s design requirements. This proved to be problematic in the early 1970s, which is why I-30 west of Downtown Fort Worth was reconstructed fairly early, between 1987 and 1990 a 5 kilometer section between Camp Bowie Drive and University Drive was reconstructed and widened to 2×4 lanes.

Near Downtown Fort Worth, I-30 has been completely relocated to the south. The highway originally ran on an overpass above Lancaster Avenue. Over a distance of 2.5 kilometers, I-30 has been shifted here 250 meters to the south over a former shunting yard. This coincided with the reconstruction of the Mixmaster Interchange. It opened in 2001, two years before the reconstruction of the Mixmaster was complete.

Then there was another narrow and outdated section between University Drive and Summit Avenue, a two-mile stretch that ran between the 1990 reconstruction and the 2001 relocation. This section was only addressed with the construction of the Chisholm Trail Parkway, between 2012 and 2016 I-30 was completely redeveloped with braids and flyovers at the junction with the Chisholm Trail Parkway.

Upgrade Fort Worth – Dallas

I-30 at SH 161 in Grand Prairie.

The original Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike opened in 1957 and was the first interstate highway in the Dallas-Fort Worth area constructed to modern design requirements. However, the turnpike had no guide rail in the median, just a raised curb. A guide rail was added in 1972. The toll road was originally constructed with 2×3 lanes. In 1978, the Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike was acquired by the Texas Department of Transportation and then became toll-free.

The highway remained in its original condition for a long time as it was in the 1950’s, apart from resurfacing and the construction of some interchanges with intersecting highways, the highway was little modified until after 2000. The first I-30 was constructed in Grand Prairie, Between Belt Line Road and Loop 12, an 8 km long alternating lane was completed in 2003. However, the switch lane would remain unused for years. In 2007-2009, the interchange was extended west past SH 161 and east to Westmoreland Road. This completed alternating lane was also not actually used. In 2016-2017 the alternating lane was widened to a 2-lane interchangeable lane, and has since been called the I-30 TEXpress lanes. Toll collection has been introduced here. On April 23, 2017, an extension of the interchange opened up to Sylvan Avenue in Dallas, where it connects to the Dallas Horseshoe Project, a major project that included the reconstruction of I-30 and I-35E around Downtown Dallas through 2017.

Between 2008 and 2011, a small section of I-30 through Arlington was widened from 2×3 lanes to 3+1+2+1+3 lanes, with free HOV lanes and a long unused interchange lane. On 1 August 2016, the interchangeable lane with toll collection was put into use. As of 2017, the interchange lane has been extended eastward to SH 161 (George Bush Turnpike), connecting it to the interchangeable lane through Grand Prairie completed in 2016. This created a 30 kilometer long interchange from Arlington to Dallas.

Dallas Horseshoe Project

In October 2011, $798 million was allocated to rebuild the I-30 and I-35E in Downtown Dallas, the so-called Horsehoe Interchange. TxDot had originally named the project Project Pegasus, which had a larger scope, but could not find funding for. The original connections and nodes were no longer sufficient. This was because there is much more traffic than what it was originally built on, and interestingly, the traffic flows have changed. When this interchange was built between 1958 and 1962, a majority of motorists had a destination in downtown Dallas. Today, 80% of traffic is through and thus has no destination or origin in Downtown Dallas. As a result, the infrastructure is used differently than on which it is built. After opening, little was adapted to the highway. I-35E has 286,000 vehicles per day on site north of the interchange. 350,000 vehicles drive through the interchanges every day.

The plans were as follows;

  • A new carriageway on the south side of I-30 for traffic heading east, so that the existing carriageway can be converted into a HOV interchange lane.
  • A parallel system along the south side of downtown to I-45.
  • Rebuilding the interchange so that traffic following I-30 or I-35 can stay in the same lane instead of switching.
  • A parallel system along the west side of downtown on I-35E.
  • rebuilding the existing bridges in connection with lifespan

The new bridges were designed by Calatrava. The project was carried out between April 2013 and mid-2017.

Widening east of Dallas

Until the 1990s, I-30 had 2×2 lanes east of the interchange with I-635. In the late 1990s, the highway was widened to 2×4 lanes between I-635 and Rockwall, as well as a short stretch to 2×3 lanes in Rockwall itself. The wider section then ended at SH 205 in Rockwall. Between 2008 and 2016, I-30 was further reconstructed between Rockwall and Royse City, replacing some overpasses and preparing for widening to 2×3 to 2×4 lanes.

Future

Fort Worth

It is planned to widen I-30 in western Fort Worth. The 7-kilometer section between I-820 and Camp Bowie Boulevard is to be widened from 2×3 to 2×4 lanes. The cost of this has been estimated at $550 million. Also, $81 million has been earmarked to widen the portion between Lincrest Drive and the interchange with I-820 west of Fort Worth to 2×3 lanes.

Arlington

The connection between I-30 and SH 360 in Arlington was not a full interchange, but a trumpet interchange connecting the frontage roads of SH 360, so traffic between the two highways always had to go through traffic lights. The Trumpet interchange dates back to when I-30 was a toll road, the Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike. Plans to build a full stack of 8 direct connectors (flyovers) between I-30 and SH 360 were accelerated as of 2013, and a $223 million contract was awarded on November 19, 2015 to build the interchange and a small piece of from SH 360 south of the interchange to widen 2×4 lanes. Construction started on March 2, 2016 and should be completed by mid-2022.

Dallas Canyon

I-30 runs along the south side of downtown Dallas, the so-called ‘canyon’ between I-35E and I-45. This part currently has 2×3 lanes with entrances and exits both on the outside and in the central reservation. The route is only 2.5 kilometers long and is one of the 20 most traffic-prone routes in Texas. The proposal under the Dallas CityMAP project was to widen this section to 2×4 lanes and an extended alternating lane. The entrances and exits in the central reservation would then disappear and be replaced by continuous frontage roads. In 2019, however, there was talk of widening to 2×6 lanes. There may be several short shelters over I-30. The cost for this 2-kilometer stretch is estimated at $121 million.

I-30 East (Dallas)

Connecting to the Dallas Canyon, I-30 may widen east of I-45. This part currently runs largely above ground level on viaducts through industrial areas and on slopes in residential areas. This route currently has an alternating lane with a zipper barrier. In one of the scenarios there will be 2×4 lanes with a two-lane interchange lane, in another scenario there will be 2×5 lanes with a two-lane interchange lane. It is the wish to realize this below ground level. The cost is estimated at $2 billion. The part covered by CityMAP runs from I-45 to Dolphin Road. Further studies include both I-30 and US 80 into the eastern suburbs of Dallas.

In an alternative scenario, I-30 will be extensively rerouted to the south, from Ferguson Road to US 175 and I-45 well south of Downtown Dallas. This will require a major overhaul of existing and new infrastructure and will cost more than $2 billion. It would be approximately 9 miles of new I-30 from the interchange with I-35E to near Ferguson Road in eastern Dallas, with the rerouted I-30 following the Trinity River south, intersecting with CF Hawn Freeway (US 175) and possibly the demolition of I-45 south of downtown. It’s unclear how realistic this plan is, as the demolition of both I-30 and I-45 would lead to a new highway to match the current combined capacity of 18 lanes.

Dallas – Greenville

The suburbs east of Dallas are growing very fast, especially in Rockwall County, which grew from 15,000 inhabitants in 1980 to approximately 100,000 inhabitants in 2017. For much of this, I-30 is the only high-speed connection to destinations in and around Dallas. It is planned to widen I-30 through Rockwall County to 2×4 lanes between the President George Bush Turnpike and SH 205 in Rockwall and 2×3 lanes further to the Hunt County border. Frontage roads are also being built across Lake Ray Hubbard. The first phase of frontage roads between Bass Pro Drive and Dalrock Road is estimated to cost $120 million, making it believed to be the most expensive two-mile frontage road ever in Texas. On March 21, 2019, a FONSI was issued for this project.

Texarkana

It is planned to widen the 9-kilometer section through Texarkana to 2×3 lanes, between FM 989 at Nash and the Arkansas border. The cost is estimated at $61 million.

Toll

Tolls are payable on the TEXpress lanes of I-30 between Arlington and Dallas. There is a variable congestion charge. Carpoolers receive a 50% discount on the toll rates.

Traffic intensities

I-30 in Mesquite, east of Dallas.

The data below concerns intensities after the relevant exit.

Exit Location 2007 2012 2016
1 Fort Worth 53,000 54,000 64,000
5 Fort Worth 94,000 104,000 103,000
15 Fort Worth 124,000 132,000 123,000
21 Fort Worth 140,000 146,000 143,000
30 Arlington 111,000 147,000 136,000
38 Dallas 138,000 150,000 135,000
44 Dallas 179,000 196,000 219,000
46 Dallas 205,000 184,000 165,000
52 Dallas 110,000 108,000 108,000
57 Mesquite 162,000 148,000 162,000
71 rock wall 69,000 104,000 116,000
79 Royse City 40,000 56,000 60,000
91 Greenville 38,000 37,000 47,000
124 Sulfur Springs 29,000 31,000 36,000
160 Mount Pleasant 18,900 26,000 35,000
198 New Boston 25,000 30,000 36,000
220 Arkansas state line 65,000 82,000 61,000

Lane Configuration

From Unpleasant Lanes Comments
exit 0 exit 13 2×3 Fort Worth
exit 13 Exit 19 2×4 Fort Worth
Exit 19 exit 38 2×3 Arlington
exit 38 exit 43 4+1+4 alternating lane
exit 43 Exit 44 2×3 Dallas
Exit 44 exit 45 2×4 Dallas
exit 45 exit 46 2×3 Dallas
exit 46 exit 53 2×4 Dallas
exit 53 exit 56 2×3 Mesquite
exit 56 Exit 60 2×4 Garland
Exit 60 Exit 68 2×3 Garland
Exit 68 Exit 223 2×2

History of Interstate 30 in Texas