Construction on the Frisco portions of the Sam Rayburn Tollway and its intersections is expected to ramp up in the coming months as part of the tollway’s $200 million expansion.
The North Texas Tollway Authority’s SRT widening project began in January 2019 and will add a fourth lane in both directions from Denton Tap Road in Coppell to US 75 in McKinney. The project also calls for ramp improvements between the Dallas North Tollway and Preston Road.
“In the Plano/Frisco areas, drivers will notice paving in the center median between US 75 and Coit Road,” NTTA spokesperson Michael Rey said.
Work is continuing along the entire 26-mile tollway, according to a spring 2020 progress report by the NTTA. Construction at some of Frisco’s busiest intersections along the SRT are nearing their final stages.
“The majority of intersection work currently is between Parkwood Boulevard and Coit Road where crews are preparing for beam placement, placing deck forms and placing concrete at various intersections,” Rey said.
As traffic increases with businesses reopening and residents returning to work, Rey said the NTTA’s project and traffic engineers will evaluate tollway and intersection closures on a weekly basis.
The following ramps and lanes at Frisco intersections of the SRT will experience closures in the coming days as of NTTA’s May 22 report:
- Parkwood Boulevard U-turn lane westbound: 24 hours a day from May 26-31 beginning at 5 a.m.
- Parkwood Boulevard U-turn lane eastbound: May 26-30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- SRT frontage road at Parkwood Boulevard northbound and southbound: right lane closed May 26 to May 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Preston Road U-turn lane westbound: 24 hours a day from May 26-31 beginning at 5 a.m.
- Preston Road U-turn lane eastbound: May 26-30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- SRT frontage road at Preston Road northbound and southbound: right lane closed May 26 to May 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Coit Road U-turn lane westbound: 24 hours a day from May 26-31 beginning at 5 a.m.
- Coit Road U-turn lane eastbound: May 26-30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- SRT frontage road at Coit Road northbound and southbound: Right lane closed May 26-30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- SRT frontage road at Hillcrest Road/Rasor Boulevard northbound and southbound: right lane closed May 26-30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- SRT frontage road at Parkwood Boulevard: All lanes north and southbound closed nightly from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. through the morning of June 7.
- Hillcrest Road/Rasor Boulevard: Westbound entrance ramp closed nightly from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. through the morning of June 7.
- Parkwood Boulevard: Westbound exit ramp closed nightly from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. through the morning of June 7.
Spring progress
Rey said decreased traffic on the tollway since the COVID-19 pandemic began allowed construction crews to begin work sooner and extend work later into the day.
During the peak of low traffic, Rey said daily road and tollways closures occurred between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
“It’s been a rainy year, so I can’t quantify how much more productive this has made us,” he said.
Rey said the expansion is still on track to be completed in December 2021.
From January to April, crews excavated in the tollway’s median, began asphalt and concrete paving in certain areas, worked on intersection bridges and continued building a new ramp on Parkwood Boulevard, per the report.
Part of the SRT expansion involves adding lanes to existing bridges at several intersections. The process for this includes demolitions and adding foundation, columns, beams and a bridge deck, Rey said.
“The entire process can take multiple months to complete at each intersection and requires various closures throughout the process,” he said.
Crews completed all steps for the Legacy Drive intersection bridge deck this spring, according to the progress report.
