What you need to know
NTE Mobility Partners, which is a subsidiary of Austin-based Cintra, will begin work on capacity improvements to the corridor after reaching financial close for the project Aug. 11. The 13-mile stretch of highway runs through several municipalities, including Bedford, Euless and North Richland Hills.
The $414 million project will be funded by Cintra and Meridiam. No taxpayer funds will be required to complete the expansion, according to the release.
The action comes weeks after North Texas leaders called for improvements to Hwy. 183. The roadway is considered one of the most congested in Texas.
The project
Construction will add an additional general-purpose lane in each direction along I-820 between Fort Worth and North Richland Hills. General-purpose lanes are free to use.
For Hwy. 183, an additional TEXpress managed lane will be added in each direction between Euless and North Richland Hills.
North Tarrant Infrastructure will perform construction, according to the news release. Initial construction activities, including installation of barriers, are slated to begin in late 2023 with full construction expected to start in 2024.
Most construction activities will occur overnight to minimize disruption, according to the news release. Construction is anticipated to finish in early 2027.
A closer look
The highways are being expanded as part of a development agreement between North Tarrant Express, the Texas Department of Transportation and the state. The agreement stipulated NTE Mobility Partners would expand the highway after specific traffic volume milestones were met.
Some sections of Hwy. 183 saw more than 200,000 vehicles a day on average in 2022, according to TxDOT’s traffic map. Some sections of I-820 saw more than 160,000 vehicles a day on average in the same year.
“Traffic volumes have continued to increase alongside the explosive population growth in Tarrant County,” NTE Mobility Partners CEO Jose Espinosa said in a statement. “In addition to more people using the free, general-purpose lanes than expected, we have far eclipsed our initial projections on utilization of the TEXpress managed lanes, triggering the next phase of expansion along these critical highways.”
More details about the development agreement and associated projects are available on TxDOT's website.
