As August draws to a close, there is a glimmer of hope that the LBJ Express project is making progress. Last week the entrance ramp from Marsh Lane to westbound Interstate 635 was re-opened after several weeks of being closed. The connector from northbound Dallas North Tollway to eastbound Interstate 635 and the westbound exit ramp to Webb Chapel also opened last weekend.
“These ramp completions are the beginning of a new phase in the LBJ Express project,” says Heather Delapp on the LBJ Express blog. “Over the next few months, neighbors and drivers will start to see tangible signs of progress, as portions of the new roadway begin to open,” she says.
“By the end of this year, we are eager to offer them a little taste of what the LBJ Express will be like when it’s complete in about 2-and-a-half years,” Delapp says.
But we aren’t out of the woods. Because the project will be ongoing, it’s best day to evaluate progress on a week to week basis. The traffic construction schedule for this week is as follows:
Between Interstate 35 and Luna to Josey:
- Opening of the westbound Frontage Road/Josey Lane bypass the night of Aug. 30.
- Various lane closures on I-35E and I-635 through Aug. 30.
- Closures on the I-635 westbound frontage road and Josey on-ramp during August and September.
- Nightly full closures on Josey in August.
- Full closure on the direct connector ramp from eastbound I-635 to northbound I-35E from Aug. 26 to Aug. 30.
- Nightly full closure of Harry Hines (at the I-635 overpass) on Aug. 26 and 27.
- Full closure of the direct connector ramp from northbound I-35E to westbound I-635 on Sept. 2.
- Full closure of northbound I-35E on Sept. 3.
- Full closure of southbound I-35E on Aug. 28.
- Full closure of the direct connector ramp from southbound I-35E to eastbound I-635 on Aug. 28.
- Full closure of northbound I-35E on Aug. 29.
- Closure of the direct connector ramp from southbound I-35E SB to eastbound I-635 the night of Aug. 26.
From Josey to Dallas North Tollway:
- Nightly various lane closures along eastbound and westbound I-635 from Welch to Josey.
- Long-term closure of the I-635 eastbound frontage road from Josey Lane to Bankway through Aug. 30.
- Opening of the eastbound frontage road from Josey to Webb Chapel on Aug. 30.
- Opening of the westbound Webb Chapel bypass bridge on Aug. 30.
- Closure of Valley View on Aug. 30.
- Opening of the two lanes on the I-635 westbound frontage road from Midway to the Midway entrance ramp on Aug. 30.
- Closure of the eastbound frontage road from Midway to Welch. Daytime, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and nightly, 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
From Dallas North Tollway to US-75:
- Construction on the Dallas North Tollway bridges. Dates to be determined.
- Traffic switch along westbound frontage road from Hughes to Preston in mid-September.
- Dallas North Tollway southbound-westbound direct connector ramp to be switched to the new temporary ramp in early September.
