Dallas North Tollway
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Dallas North Tollway |
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Length: | 32 mi (51 km) | ||||
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Formed: | 1968 | ||||
South end: | I-35E in Dallas | ||||
Major junctions: |
I-635 President George Bush Turnpike |
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North end: | US 380 near Frisco | ||||
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The Dallas North Tollway (DNT or simply the Tollway) is a 32-mile (51 km) controlled-access toll road operated by the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA), which runs from Interstate 35E near downtown Dallas, Texas (USA), to U.S. Highway 380, near Frisco, Texas. The "DNT Extension Phase 3," which runs from State Highway 121 to U.S. Highway 380, opened on September 28, 2007.[1]
The initial segment of the tollway ran from Interstate 35E to Interstate 635 along an old railroad corridor. The right-of-way is generally 100 feet (30 m) along this segment, one of the narrowest controlled-access roads in Texas (although the Westpark Tollway has a right of way of only 50 feet (15 m)). The segment was completed in June 1968 and toll was 50 cents. All toll plazas are equipped for electronic toll collection and main lane plazas feature TollTag express lanes.
The tollway was later extended to Briargrove Lane in 1987, to Headquarters Drive in 1994, to S.H. 121 and Gaylord Parkway in 2004, and to US 380 in 2007. The extensions generally parallel S.H. 289 (locally known as Preston Road).
Current tolls vary from $0.40 to $1.30 for a car with it being more expensive closer to downtown; the lone exception being the Eldorado Pkwy. toll plaza in Frisco. The Tolltag offers a discount on these rates (tolls are $0.30 to $1.05) but requires a prepayment of $40 for up to three transponders, and after that, TollTag accounts can be reloaded at a minimum of $10. Rates increased on September 29, 2007, the first increase since 2002. [2]
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[edit] Introduction of the TollTag
The Dallas North Tollway was the first toll road in the United States to implement Electronic Toll Collection technology, with the introduction of the TollTag in 1989. TollTag users were originally charged $.05 extra per transaction, but by 1999 the agency moved to actively encourage TollTag use by giving tag users a discount off the cash toll rate.
In August 2007, the NTTA announced plans to phase out manned toll booths entirely by May 2010.[3]
[edit] Future improvements/extension
This article contains information about a planned or expected future road. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change as the road's construction or completion approaches and more information becomes available. |
[edit] Southern section
At the Tollway's southern end, near downtown, the agency is rebuilding the road around the main toll plaza and adding ramps at Oak Lawn Avenue. This project, started in 2006, is scheduled to take two years. On the southern sector of the tollway, the agency plans to spend about US$43 million to add an entrance and exit at Oak Lawn and rebuild most of the tollway surface from the Interstate 35E ramps to Lemmon Avenue. The tollway authority also will completely rebuild the aging toll plaza, adding a third TollTag express lane in each direction. This work coincides with major projects by the city of Dallas to rebuild part of Oak Lawn under the tollway, and by Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) to build a rail line along nearby Harry Hines Boulevard. To reduce the impact on traffic, the agency plans to do much of the work at night using a movable concrete barrier and zipper machines to detour traffic around construction zones.
[edit] Northern section
The North Texas Tollway Authority started work in January 2006 at seven north Dallas locations to improve ramps and add merging lanes. The project will cost US$14 million. To create room for construction crews, northbound motorists have been pushed toward the concrete barriers.
Northbound projects include adding acceleration or auxiliary lanes between Keller Springs and Trinity Mills roads and between Alpha and Spring Valley roads.
Southbound projects include adding outside lane pavement at the President George Bush Turnpike exit; between the Bush Turnpike entrance ramp and Frankford Road; between the Frankford entrance ramp and Sojourn Drive; around the Keller Springs exit at the main lane toll plaza; and between the Keller Springs toll plaza and Spring Valley.
The projects will noticeably lengthen many shorter merging lanes, including one at Trinity Mills where vehicles must merge quickly after driving around a curve.
[edit] Future extensions
Having completed the third extension north, NTTA plans to further extend Dallas Parkway from US 380 to the Grayson County line. It is planned to be a 13.5-mile (21.7 km) extension. Currently, a two-lane county road (which is currently being upgraded) is being built from US 380 to FM 428 in Celina; north of FM 428 a route has not been established, but NTTA has approved hiring of a corridor manager for this project. [4]
[edit] Exit list
County | Mile | Destinations | Notes |
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Dallas | I-35E south / Loop 354 (Harry Hines Boulevard) – Downtown Dallas | Southbound exit, northbound entrance | |
Wycliff Avenue | Southbound exit, northbound entrance | ||
Cedar Springs Road | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Lemmon Avenue | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Mockingbird Lane | |||
Lovers Lane | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Loop 12 (NW Highway) | |||
Walnut Hill Lane | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Royal Lane | |||
Forest Lane | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Harvest Hill Road | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Alpha Road / Galleria Road | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
I-635 | |||
Verde Valley Lane / Spring Valley Road / Quorum Drive | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Alpha Road / Galleria Road | Southbound exit, northbound entrance | ||
Spring Valley Road | Southbound exit, northbound entrance | ||
Belt Line Road / Arapaho Road | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Verde Valley Lane / Quorum Drive / Belt Line Road – Addison | Southbound exit, northbound entrance | ||
Keller Springs Road / Westgrove Drive | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Keller Springs Road / Addison Airport Tunnel / Arapaho Road | Southbound exit, northbound entrance | ||
Collin | Trinity Mills Road / Briargrove Lane | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | |
Frankford Road / Haverwood Lane | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Westgrove Drive / Frankford Road / Trinity Mills Road | Southbound exit, northbound entrance | ||
President George Bush Turnpike | |||
Plano Parkway | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Chapel Hill Road / Park Boulevard | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Plano Parkway / Park Boulevard | Southbound exit, northbound entrance | ||
Parker Road | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Chapel Hill Road / Parker Road | Southbound exit, northbound entrance | ||
Windhaven Parkway | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Tennyson Parkway / Spring Creek Parkway | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Spring Creek Parkway / Windhaven Parkway | Southbound exit, northbound entrance | ||
Legacy Drive | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Headquarters Drive | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
SH 121 | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
SH 121 / Legacy Drive / Headquarters Drive | Southbound exit, northbound entrance | ||
Gaylord Parkway / Warren Parkway | |||
Lebanon Road | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Stonebrook Parkway | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Lebanon Road / Stonebrook Parkway | Southbound exit, northbound entrance | ||
Cotton Gin Road / Main Street | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
Cotton Gin Road | Southbound exit, northbound entrance | ||
Main Street | Southbound exit, northbound entrance | ||
FM 2934 (Eldorado Parkway) | |||
Panther Creek Parkway | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
County Road 24 | Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||
US 380 – Denton, Greenville | Northbound exit, southbound entrance |
[edit] References
- ^ Tollway Extension To Open, NTTA, 2007-09-24, <http://www.ntta.org/NR/rdonlyres/AED1E69F-A1B5-4340-A9C5-DA3320F305B1/1227/DNTPhase3OpeningHandout_1up_092407.pdf>. Retrieved on 2007-09-30
- ^ New Toll Rates, NTTA, 2007-08-16, <http://www.ntta.org/NR/rdonlyres/BDC5A069-9564-4296-BA1F-167622A15138/0/Handout_TollRates_WEB_081607.pdf>. Retrieved on 2007-09-30
- ^ Lindenberger, Michael A. "NTTA says goodbye to cash at toll booths", 2007-08-15. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
- ^ The Dallas North Tollway Extension: Phase 4 (US 380 to Collin/Grayson County Line), NTTA, July 2007, <http://www.ntta.org/AboutUs/Projects/DNTPhase4.htm>. Retrieved on 2007-09-30