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Bianca Weaver, a far north Fort Worth Starbucks manager, near her store ever since the location opened earlier this year.
Construction of the 18-mile North Tarrant Expressway had forced Weaver to take the long way around, criss-crossing through overpasses and navigating different exits.
鈥淏ut the construction will definitely be a life-saver, and a lot less stressful,鈥� Weaver said in a June interview with the Fort Worth Report.
The project lasted over three years, and cost $2.6 billion to complete. Now that it鈥檚 finished, nearby employees like Allison Andrews, who works for Starbucks鈥� neighbor , haven鈥檛 seen much of a change.
鈥淭raffic is still the same to me, to be honest,鈥� Andrews said, adding that she never takes the tollway.
Her co-workers haven鈥檛 noted any major changes, she said.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think many of my co-workers use the express toll, either,鈥� Andrews said.
The Texas Department of Transportation and NTE Mobility Partners both note positive changes.
Congestion has slowed down and the flow of traffic works better than it did before, according to an NTE Mobility Partners statement. Heavy, large equipment has also been removed from the area.
The project 鈥渉as greatly improved the infrastructure along the major north-south interstate and has facilitated the safer, faster, and more reliable movement of people, goods, and services,鈥� the statement said.
When construction began in 2020, this stretch of Interstate 35 West was called.
By June 2023, , according to a Texas A&M University study on Texas鈥� most congested roadways. Nearly 300,000 vehicles drive that stretch of highway a day.
Now, after construction, this same route has fallen to the 35th most congested roadway in Texas. NTE Texpress anticipates continued traffic growth in north Fort Worth.
Officials added that for commuters driving on express lanes, it鈥檚 smooth sailing all the way to downtown Fort Worth from the Haslet area. They noted that luxury wasn鈥檛 available before.
And for commuters driving on free, general purpose lanes on I-35W, officials say the average speed during peak hours has increased from 40 mph to 70 mph.
TxDOT or NTE Mobility Partners would not disclose how many commuters use the tollway daily. The , according to NTE Texpress.
The project was the final leg of the decade-long I-35W expansion project and added 7.2 miles of fresh asphalt.
Matthew Sgroi is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .
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