SH 114 expansion nears completion

Currently, the section of SH 114 between I-35W and Hwy. 114 Business consists of two eastbound general-purpose lanes and two westbound general-purpose lanes with a grass median separating them.

Once the reconstruction is complete, those lanes will become frontage roads and the general-purpose highway lanes will replace the grass median with six new general purpose lanes.

Reconstruction of existing roads and adding new roads have caused daily lane closures between I-35W and U.S. 377, leading to traffic delays and detours.

One example is the recent detour of eastbound traffic Jan. 29-30, according to previous Community Impact reporting. Eastbound traffic on SH 114 was directed to the new roadway at Chadwick Parkway.

Along with SH 170, SH 114 is one of the two main east/west thoroughfares that serve AllianceTexas, a 27,000-acre mixed-use development. A cornerstone of AllianceTexas is its intermodal transportation hub, which connects air, rail and road to facilitate the movement of goods.

Nick Konen, director of strategic development for Hillwood, the developer behind AllianceTexas, said SH 114’s expansion will be a great enhancement to the region since it will provide better mobility for the movement of goods coming from and into one of the nation’s largest inland ports.

“Goods will also have easier access to I-35, which is a direct route to Canada and Mexico,” Konen said.

Retailers in Fort Worth are also excited to see the project come to completion. One of the largest retail destinations in the area is Tanger Outlets Fort Worth near Texas Motor Speedway.

Management officials said that with the evolving retailer mix at Tanger Fort Worth drawing even more visitors to the center, they are confident the SH 114 expansion will only benefit the shopping center with improved traffic flow and accessibility.

"The timing of the expansion is ideal as the northern and western suburban areas continue to experience exponential growth," a representative from Tanger Outlets said.

Diving in deeper

Besides the AllianceTexas region, this section of SH 114 serves as the main east/west artery for the city of Roanoke.

While the expansion project will ultimately increase economic activity and development in the area, it has negatively impacted businesses along that corridor during the construction phase.

“Our Roanoke businesses, such as 7-Eleven and Waffle House, have certainly been affected by some of the challenges construction creates when accessing their sites,” said Siale Langi, economic development manager for Roanoke. “Some of our warehousing space found leasing more challenging through the expansion project.”

Now that construction is nearly done, Langi said interest has picked up in developing some of the properties along the highway, which coincides with the increasing population in the area.

Demographic forecasts estimate North Texas will grow from roughly 8.2 million residents in 2023 to over 11 million residents in 2045, according to the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

Two other planned SH 114 projects will also help with congestion, according to TxDOT.

The first is at the intersection of SH 114 and Championship Parkway, which includes constructing new left turn lanes, installing traffic signals and creating curb ramps. It is slated for completion in October 2028.

The second, still in the planning phase with no official start date, is an 8-mile stretch from Grapevine to Trophy Club that will add a lane in each direction.