Texan tolling

Work is now underway on the new DFW Connector near Dallas, in the US state of Texas. This is of note as it is the largest investment of the Recovery Act (ARRA) in a highway project so far. The Recovery Act has already funded 12,500 new transportation projects across the US. This US$1.02 billion project, of which $250 million is funded by ARRA, will reduce congestion for drivers in Tarrant County, and is beginning ahead of schedule. The link runs 13.4km on the SH 114/121 corridor through Grapevine and Southlake, part of the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area.  Improvements include 12-14 new main lanes and four toll-managed lanes, doubling existing highway capacity. Traffic volume along SH 114 is expected to grow from today's 189,000 vehicles/day to 359,000/day by 2030. Of the $26.6 billion in ARRA funds available across the US, Texas' share is $2.25 billion. To date, the state has obligated $2.08 billion toward 429 projects, with 282 underway. Meanwhile in Irving and Grand Prairie, a project sponsored by the 2363 North Texas Tollway Authority will complete the western portion of a second beltway around Dallas. The $20 million grant supports a direct loan under the 2364 US Department of Transportation's Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program for up to one-third of the project's $1.3 billion cost and would use electronic toll collection to increase capacity.