Parts of the highways included in the $1.6 billion construction project in southeast Tarrant County will close over the next week as work increases. TxDOT is rebuilding the interchanges of I-20, I-820 and U.S. 287.
Interstate 20 from Highway 360 to 287 is ranked the 79th most congested in the state by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. TxDOT predicts the area will carry 370,000 cars a day by 2045, up from 200,000 now.
"As bad as things are right now, we're expecting them to get worse," one woman said as she filled up at a gas station near the 820/I-20 interchange Thursday.
Thursday night from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., the ramp from southbound 820 to eastbound I-20 will close. Tuesday, February 21, all lanes of southbound 820 will close south of 287 from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
A man filling up at the same station says the closures will force him to find another way around, but he is glad TxDOT is working to reduce the amount of weaving traffic must do in the interchange.
"Everyone's trying to get over to the right," he says. "Every time I do that, I'm amazed there's not that many accidents there."
Thursday night, traffic going from southbound 820 to eastbound 20 will be detoured west on 20 to Anglin where drivers can exit and rejoin the highway eastbound.
In addition to rebuilding the interchanges with simpler layouts, 11 miles of I-20 and 820 will be expanded. The entire project is scheduled to be completed in 2027.
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