TxDOT Says $1.6 Billion Interstate 345 Project Could Take a Decade to Complete
Share News:
Texas Department of Transportation officials were back at Dallas City Hall on Wednesday, giving a progress report on the Interstate 345 plan approved by council members in May 2023.
We reported in March of this year that TxDOT rebuffed the council’s mandate to seek alternative funding sources and designs for the $1.65 billion project, instead remaining laser-focused on the “hybrid trench” option. That came up again on Wednesday, and although city officials may have secured a $2 million grant, it doesn’t look like they’re interested in an alternate design.
The project boundaries extend about 2.8 miles from Interstate 30 to Woodall Rodgers Freeway (Spur 366). TxDOT plans to trench Interstate 345 about 65 feet below ground on the east side of downtown to Deep Ellum, making way for traffic to flow on decks over the roadway.
Watch the Oct. 16 Dallas City Council briefing here and view TxDOT’s slide presentation here. Another round of public hearings will be held late this year and early next year, with environmental clearance anticipated in spring 2025. Because some funding still needs to be secured, the project could take at least 10 years to complete, officials said last week.
Housing Opportunities
TxDOT engineer Ceason Clemens outlined progress and highlighted ongoing communication with city staff and stakeholders. The state highway department is obligated to provide project updates to the City Council every six months.
On Wednesday, Clemens presented updated schematics and said in response to council questions that she would later provide information about how surplus right-of-way could be used to meet needs such as housing.
“We can come back at the next briefing and show better graphics and show what’s available and what’s the adjacent land use,” Clemens said.
Councilman Jesse Moreno, who represents Deep Ellum and a portion of downtown, thanked Clemens for working with staff and asked that impacts on Deep Ellum businesses be minimal while construction is ongoing.
“As we continue to perfect deck parks in the City of Dallas, [there are] a lot of opportunities along Elm and Main and Commerce and Canton connecting into the arts district and into the future cultural trail,” Moreno said. “Those are areas that I think we should identify as potential capping opportunities for greenspace and of course housing… I appreciate your willingness to meet with the stakeholders to try to get the best outcome and make sure we’re getting housing, pedestrian [safety measures], and connectivity and having as little impact to the Deep Ellum community as possible.”
Ridley Questions Why Alternative Designs Were Not Pursued
A “conditional approval” of the hybrid trench option was referenced during Clemens’ presentation, but Councilman Paul Ridley questioned why at least one of the conditions — the city manager procuring the services of an independent consultant — wasn’t thoroughly explored.
The consultant was supposed to conduct a feasibility study regarding alternatives for the future redevelopment of I-345 and more specifically to determine why options other than the hybrid trench weren’t pursued, Ridley said.
Interim City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert explained that staff has been seeking alternative funding sources, as outlined in the adopted resolution. Assistant City Manager Dev Rastogi announced a $2 million economic development grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that will be presented to the council in December.
Ridley said that’s not what he was referring to.
“[The grant] was not about looking at alternatives to the hybrid [option],” he said to Tolbert. “I have not heard anything about such a feasibility study being undertaken by your office. Are you saying there has been none?”
Director of Transportation and Public Works Gus Khankarli said staff evaluated and “tried to pursue” options for available funding to look at alternatives but there are numerous barriers because it is a federal project.
Tolbert said that once the $2 million grant is secured, there will be an opportunity to issue a request for proposals for a consultant.
“Then we can look at connectivity,” she said. “It’s my understanding we’ll be able to use that funding for also looking at mobility and additional economic opportunities within that area. That additional funding would then be utilized for that, not necessarily a new option or an alternative option than what’s been presented.”
