The Texas Department of Transportation held a groundbreaking in West Fort Worth Monday to launch construction on an expansion of Interstate 30. The $329 million project is part of a larger expansion of Interstates 20 and 30 in western Tarrant County totaling $541 million.
"A lack of mobility on I-30 threatens the economic livelihood of our cities and state," Texas Transportation Commissioner Robbie Vaughn said. "Improvements to this area are desperately needed due to population and employment growth."
TxDOT is adding a third lane in each direction from West Loop 820 to the merge with I-20. The project will also improve frontage roads and rebuild the I-30/Spur 580 interchange.
"We're going to grow together, we're going to grow Texas together, and we're going to grow the infrastructure of the City of Fort Worth, and we're going to grow the infrastructure of Tarrant County," Texas Transportation Commission Chairman Bruce Bugg said.
Bugg said the state has increased funding for the Fort Worth district by 50% in the past 10 years. Across Texas, he said $53 billion in construction was now underway.
"One of the key things Governor Abbott has asked me to do is focus on congestion relief in the five major metropolitan areas around the state of Texas," Bugg said.
TxDOT estimates 70,000 cars travel I-30 in western Tarrant County every day. The state demographer says Texas' population could top 40 million people by 2050.
In Tarrant County, the U.S. Census estimates the population was 1.9 million in 2014. Now, the population is estimated at 2.2 million.
"With all of this growth in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Parker County, and this region, DFW will soon be the third largest metro region in this country, passing Chicago," Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said.
Parker said partnerships among cities, counties, and TxDOT have helped the region plan for additional growth.
"You very quickly realize, when you enter another state, no offense to Louisiana or Oklahoma, but it ain't Texas," she said. "They certainly don't have the same tenacity for infrastructure this state does."
In the past month, TxDOT has also started work on a $13 billion expansion of Interstate 45 in Houston and a $5.6 expansion of Interstate 35 in Austin.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news
Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube