North Tarrant Express (Segments 3A and 3B)

credit agreement executed

As a result of work performed under a predevelopment agreement, a 52-year concession agreement (effective 2009) between TxDOT and NTE Mobility Partners was executed on March 1, 2013 to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain Segment 3A and operate and maintain Segment 3B of the North Tarrant Express (NTE) in the Fort Worth, Texas region. TxDOT will deliver Segment 3B on a design-bid-build basis before turning over operations to NTE Mobility Partners. Together these two segments comprise 12 miles of highway and managed lane improvements to I-35W as part of the overall 36-mile NTE network. NTE Segments 1 and 2A, the first two segments of the six-segment network of managed lanes to be advanced, have been under construction since 2010 under a separate concession agreement with NTE Mobility Partners and include improvements to I-820 (Segment 1) and SH 121/SH 183 (Segment 2A). Segment 3A includes construction of two managed lanes in each direction and improvements to approximately 6.2 miles of I-35W from north of I-30 near downtown Fort Worth to north of I-820, including the I-35W/I-820 interchange. Existing frontage roads, bridges, overpasses interchanges, and ramps will be reconstructed. The interchange with I-820 at the western extent of Segment 1 will be reconstructed and include direct connectors between the two segments' managed lane components. Segment 3B includes construction of two managed lanes in each direction and improvements to approximately 4.0 miles of I-35W from north of I-820 (joining Segment 3A) to north of US 81/287. According to the project sponsor, Segments 3A and 3B of the North Tarrant Expressway Project will ease congestion for approximately 50,000 vehicle trips per day, resulting in approximately 37,671 hours saved per day and an estimated 154 million gallons of fuel saved. Additionally, the project is expected to generate approximately 38,000 jobs and yield approximately $7.8 billion in total economic impact over the construction period.