Dallas Area Rapid Transit officials gave updates on the progress of the Silver Line project—a new regional rail line that will connect Plano in the east to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in the west—at a July 26 Richardson community meeting.

During the meeting, officials from both DART and Archer Western Herzog, the design and construction firm for the project, provided a general overview of the Silver Line and Richardson-specific projects. The Silver Line is projected to begin service in late 2025 or 2026, according to documents provided by DART.

The big picture

In anticipation of laying down tracks for street crossings within Richardson, a number of road closures are planned in the city, said Marvin Jackson, a representative of Archer Western Herzog. Those include:
  • A three-day closure at Waterview Parkway between Stewart Drive and Frankford Road on Aug. 4-7
  • A closure between Synergy Park Boulevard near Point North Parkway in early September, according to a Archer Western Herzog representative
  • Lane closures near the Waterview Crossing between Frankford Road and Synergy Park Boulevard that are expected last through the summer
DART is also working with developers on several transit-oriented developments near the planned Silver Line stations, according to Chris Walters, the community engagement representative for Richardson and Plano. Those include the proposed Cotton Belt Trail network that will begin at the Shiloh Road station and run through the DFW North Station on airport property, meeting documents showed.

Walters said design for the trail network was 75% complete as of July 15 with construction taking place after rail service begins. The trail will run parallel to the track except for at the airport, he added.


The trail will have a length of over 3.5 miles within Richardson’s borders, Walters said, adding that it will connect with the city’s trail network.

Notable quote

“As the years go by, more and more transit-oriented developments are being planned and built around the stations, and that is going to be the case with the Silver Line as well,” Walters said. “This alignment is going to create jobs, connect more employment and population activity centers, increase mobility, and connect to the airport.”

A quick note


Jackson said construction on the bridges over US 75 is planned to finish around the end of 2024 with the completion of the bridge decks and support beams.