AASHTO Journal - TxDOT Starts on Part Two of I-30 Improvement Project

The Texas Department of Transportation and the City of Rockwall recently marked the start of construction on the second segment of the Interstate 30 modernization project.

[Above photo by TxDOT]

The $334 million project, which will also rebuild the Horizon Road interchange, is a priority for TxDOT’s Texas Clear Lanes program – a program focused on reducing congestion on the most bottlenecked roadways statewide.

Texas Clear Lanes is a statewide strategic plan to provide congestion relief through non-tolled roads and is focused on five major metro areas: Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Current Texas Transportation Commission Chair Bruce Bugg, Jr., is leading this congestion relief initiative following a mandate issued by Governor Greg Abbott (R) in early 2016 during his first of now three terms.

“Texans are tired of sitting in traffic and have voted to make a historic investment in our state’s transportation infrastructure,” the governor said at the time. “I want to thank the Texas Transportation Commission for rapidly responding with a thoughtful approach that identifies and addresses some of the state’s most congested chokepoints.”

“The governor’s challenge was to, ‘… create a focused initiative to identify and address the state’s most congested chokepoints and work with transportation planners to get new roads built swiftly and effectively,’” noted Bugg in a statement. “This I-30 widening project is one of the critical projects to address congestion.”

He added that all Texas Clear Lanes projects have been approved and included in the state’s 10-year Unified Transportation Program adopted in September 2022.

“All too often, major crashes on the I-30 Bridge over Lake Ray Hubbard have resulted in major congestion,” noted Texas Transportation Commissioner Robert Vaughn. “Paired with a booming population and increased roadway usage, this important stretch of I-30 needed a smart solution to help get folks to where they’re going safely.”

Segment two of the I-30 expansion project extends across the lake from Dalrock Road to State Highway 205, and will widen the roadway from six lanes to eight. It will also build continuous frontage roads from SH 205 across Lake Ray Hubbard, additions that will dramatically improve reliability during major incidents.