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Crews placed the first beams for the North Tarrant Express project at Interstate 820 and Beach Street over the weekend. The project, which has nightly closures, is expected to be complete by early 2027. (Screen shot | TEXpress video)
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Motorists driving through northeast Tarrant County are slowing down, or coming to full stops, as nightly lane closures are ongoing.

The closures on I-820 and Airport Freeway are occurring frequently as construction for the $414 million North Tarrant Express Capacity Improvement Project ramps up this summer between Fort Worth and Euless. 

The project, which started preconstruction work in late 2023, will add a new main lane for both directions along Loop 820 as well as a new TEXpress toll-managed lane along Airport Freeway/State Highway 183, officials said. The project, which is expected to be completed in early 2027, will include adjustments to some ramps and connectors as well as a pedestrian bridge in Hurst. 

In early August, the project hit a major milestone as crews placed the first beams at Beach Street and Loop 820.

“Motorists can regularly expect nightly lane closures at various points along the North Tarrant Express project between Riverside Drive in Fort Worth and Industrial Boulevard/FM 157 in Euless,” said Tommy Williamson, public relations manager for North Tarrant Infrastructure LLC, the contractor working on the expansion. 

Construction updates

Motorists are encouraged to visit texpresslanes.com for upcoming closures. Updated information is also posted on the X social media platform (@TEXpressAlerts) and Facebook (@TEXpressLanes). North Tarrant Infrastructure also uses the Waze app and the TxDOT “Drive Texas” website at drivetexas.org as additional ways to communicate upcoming closures. Construction and closures are subject to weather conditions and may be postponed if necessary. 

The North Tarrant Express corridor, which opened in 2014, is owned by the Texas Department of Transportation, but the agency contracts with NTE Mobility Partners for 24/7 operations and maintenance that includes all ramps and bridges. TxDOT decided to expand the well-used 13-mile corridor when traffic projections were exceeded eight years sooner than anticipated. 

“Most of the construction activities will be undertaken overnight to minimize disruption to users,” TEXpress said in a news release. 

Williamson said the original project was built with expansion in mind. 

“The good news for the public is that when the original North Tarrant Express was constructed, it was built with this expansion in mind, which helps minimize the overall disruption to traffic,” he said. “Most of our closures occur during off-peak hours to also help the public reach their destinations in a timely manner.”

TxDOT approved speed limit reductions along I-820 and State Highway 121/183 from Riverside Drive to Industrial Boulevard that went into effect in June. Toll lanes are reduced from 75 miles per hour to 65 miles per hour while the speed limit for general purpose lanes dropped to 55 miles per hour.

The speed limit reduction will remain in place until construction is completed in early 2027.

Toll revenues collected on the North Tarrant Express TEXpress lanes will fully fund the project, the agency said. No TxDOT funds or public money is being used for the construction. 

Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org. 

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