A new ramp connecting westbound Interstate 20 to southbound Highway 287 has opened as part of the $2.1 billion expansion of highways in southeast Tarrant County. The project is updating 14 miles of I-20, Loop 820 and Highway 287.
"That's a new bridge. It represents a lot of work that's gone into it," says South-Point Constructors' Jay Proskovec. "For the most part, travelers really won't notice a difference. It's in relatively the same spot. You make your decision-point to exit a little bit earlier."
The new ramp will ultimately connect with a new layout for southbound 287, which will expand to three continuous lanes.
"Where that ramp joins, it will be what we call an auxiliary lane, which eventually turns into the Sublett Road offramp," Proskovec says.
The speed limit throughout the 14 mile stretch is 55 miles an hour. Proskovec says the reduced speed can protect both drivers and workers in an area where the layout of the roads will be changing regularly.
"We have men and women day and night," he says. "We want to get people slowed down not only for the workers' protection but for the travelers as well. There are lane shifts that'll happen."
TxDOT says 190 people died in work zones last year. Of those, 77% were drivers and passengers.
Proskovec says lane shifts could include changes where travel lanes need to move several feet to one side as crews build barriers or pillars for overpasses, so people should be ready to adjust to changes from day-to-day.
He says crews try to limit closures to nighttime, but people should expect an increased impact to travel at night.
"We just really want people to understand men and women are out there working really hard to deliver a very complex project," he says. "We really appreciate everyone's patience as they're coming through."
The expansion of the highway started in 2022, and construction is expected to continue until 2028.
South-Point Constructors' Proskovec says the expansion will widen the three highways while also reducing the need for traffic to merge and weave.
"Before the project, you would look at the traffic map, and it would be constant red because you had all that 287 traffic merging with 20, and 20 exiting to 280. This will just completely remove that movement altogether," he says.
Meantime, he urges drivers to leave extra time for the potential of a back-up, and plug your destination into a traffic app ten minutes before leaving home.
"That gives the algorithm time to read what's going on in the area and plan those alternate routes," he says. "That's something I've learned driving through this project that's been very helpful for me. Pack your patience, but use those traffic apps."
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