Funds will be used for design, right-of-way acquisitions, environmental clearance and reconstruction of about 6.5 miles of East Lancaster Avenue between Pine Street and I-820, according to a June 28 news release. The funds were awarded under the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant program, which provided more than $2.2 billion for projects across the country this year.
In a nutshell
The project is part of a larger plan to rebuild East Lancaster Avenue from downtown Fort Worth to Arlington city limits, according to a city news release. Construction will convert the road into a multimodal corridor with accommodations for a high-capacity bus transit service.
Dedicated bike lanes, landscaping improvements, sidewalk improvements, street lighting and intersection improvements will also be included in the project, according to the USDOT.
Quote of note
“As the fastest-growing big city in the country, it is vital that we champion dynamic and innovative transportation projects,” Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said in a statement. “I am thrilled to see this federal grant opportunity come through to advance a needed next-generation mobility investment that will pay dividends into building out a more connected, accessible and economically thriving East Lancaster area.”
What else
More than $97 million was awarded in total to infrastructure projects in Texas. Five other projects, including construction of shared-use trails for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Silver Line, were awarded funds from the grant program. The awardees include:
- $22.9 million for the SH 130 Advanced Commercial Truck Travel Plaza in Caldwell County
- $18 million for Double Tracking for Commuter Rail Optimization in Austin
- $6.44 million for the Five Mile Creek Trail in Dallas
- $4.8 million for the Smart Corridor Network Plan in Waco
- $25 million for the DART Silver Line Rail shared-use trail in Dallas
- $20 million for East Lancaster Avenue reconstruction in Fort Worth
