Dallas North Tollway

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Dallas North Tollway marker

Dallas North Tollway

Map
Route information
Maintained by North Texas Tollway Authority
Length30.2 mi[1] (48.6 km)
Existed1968–present
Major junctions
South end I-35E / US 77 in Dallas
Major intersections I-635 in Dallas

Pres. George Bush Turnpike in Dallas

Sam Rayburn Tollway in Plano
North end US 380 in Frisco
FM 121 near Gunter (future)
Location
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
Highway system
DNT at the Lovers Lane overpass
DNT just north of the Northwest Highway
DNT at the Alpha Road interchange

The Dallas North Tollway (DNT, or simply the Tollway) is a 30.2-mile (49 km) controlled-access toll road operated by the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA), which runs from Interstate 35E near Downtown Dallas, Texas (USA), to U.S. Highway 380, in Frisco, Texas. On December 20, 2023, the NTTA announced the Tollway's next extension which runs 6 miles (9.7 km) through Prosper and Celina and ends at FM 428.[2]

The Dallas North Tollway was the first toll road in the United States to implement electronic toll collection technology, with the introduction of the TollTag in 1989. TollTag users were originally charged $0.05 extra per transaction, but by 1999, the agency moved to the active encouragement of TollTag use by giving tag users a discount off the cash toll rate. In August 2007, the NTTA announced plans to phase out staffed toll booths entirely by May 2010.[3][4] The Tollway was converted to all-electronic toll collection on December 11, 2010.[5]

North of Interstate 635, the Dallas North Tollway is accompanied by frontage roads, which are designated as Dallas Parkway for address purposes. Historically, Dallas Parkway has demarcated future Tollway construction, and properties along the Tollway actually carry a Dallas Parkway address. Currently, Dallas Parkway extends to Gunter, about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the Gunter central business district, and 51 miles (82 km) north of Downtown Dallas.[6]

History[edit]

The Texas Legislature created the Turnpike Act on June 9, 1953, thereby creating the Texas Turnpike Authority. The Texas Turnpike Authority began issuing bonds in 1955 for its second project, the first 30 mile section of the Dallas North Tollway. The original cost was $33,650,000 and started in 1966 and completed from Interstate 35E near downtown Dallas north to Royal Lane in 1968, and soon after to Interstate 635.

Toll controversy[edit]

J.H. "Jack" Davis, Engineer-Manager for the Texas Turnpike Authority, stated in 1968 that "When revenue bonds for a project are finally paid off, however, the facility reverts to the state as part of its highway system, to be used free."[7] This was supposed to happen the same way the Texas Turnpike Authority turned over the Dallas–Fort Worth Turnpike to the Highway Department in 1977 to become I-30, which then became toll free. However, the Dallas North Tollway never became toll free and has never been turned over to the Highway Department. The North Texas Tollway Authority's web site states that "it was no longer a statewide practice to remove tolls from roadways due to a lack of state funding to maintain the roadways". While it may have been Jack Davis' unofficial intent, it was not law. The last bond payment was made January 1, 2005.

The Texas Legislature created the North Texas Tollway Authority in June 1997, replacing the Texas Turnpike Authority on September 1, 1997. The Regional Tollway Authority Act, Chapter 366 of the Texas Transportation Code, is what authorizes the North Texas Tollway Authority, thereby making it a political subdivision of the State of Texas and the operator of the North Dallas Tollway.

DNT at the Spring Valley Road interchange

The initial segment of the tollway ran from Interstate 35E to Royal Lane along an old St. Louis Southwestern Railway corridor. The right-of-way is generally 100 feet (30 m) along this segment, one of the narrowest controlled-access roads in Texas. The segment was completed in June 1968 and toll was originally 20 cents. The tollway was later extended to Briargrove Lane in 1987, to Headquarters Drive in 1994, to S.H. 121 and Gaylord Parkway in 2004, and to US 380 in 2007. The extensions generally parallel S.H. 289, also known as Preston Road. The "DNT Extension Phase 3," which runs from State Highway 121 to U.S. Highway 380, opened in mid-2007.[8]

Current tolls vary from $0.40 to $2.15 for a car with it being more expensive closer to downtown; the lone exception is the Eldorado Pkwy. toll plaza in Frisco. The Tolltag offers a discount on these rates (tolls are $0.30 to $1.41) but requires a prepayment of $40 for up to three transponders, and after that, TollTag accounts can be reloaded at a minimum of $10. Rates increased in September 2009 and will increase every two years.[9] All toll plazas are now equipped for electronic toll collection and main lane plazas feature TollTag express lanes.

Route description[edit]

DNT at the Harry Hines Boulevard interchange

The Dallas North Tollway begins at an interchange with I-35E and Harry Hines Boulevard in the Victory Park and Market Center areas of Dallas. Southbound traffic from the Tollway going onto I-35E must first get on the access road before entering onto the main freeway. The Tollway's first toll plaza is located at Wycliff Avenue in Oak Lawn. Nearby, the Tollway's first northbound exit is at Lemmon Avenue, just before it enters Highland Park. The city streets of Eastern Avenue and Roland Avenue run alongside the Tollway on the southbound and northbound sides respectively. Due to passing through a previously developed heavily populated area at the time of construction, high noise cancelling walls line the Tollway with numerous signs warning drivers about limited sight distance. At the Mockingbird Lane interchange, the Dallas North Tollway briefly enters into University Park before returning to Dallas. Between Loop 12 and Northaven Road, the Tollway runs about a 1/4 mile west of SH 289 (Preston Road).

DNT facing north from the University Boulevard overpass

The Tollway connects with I-635 (LBJ Freeway) near the Galleria Dallas and runs along the eastern edge of Farmers Branch and enters into Addison. At the Dallas-Collin county line, the Tollway connects with the President George Bush Turnpike and enters the city of Plano. North of I-635, The Tollway is adjacent to many shopping centers and housing developments. The northern Plano corporate headquarters of Pizza Hut are also adjacent to the Tollway. It connects with SH 121/Sam Rayburn Tollway and enters into Frisco, passing by the Dr Pepper Ballpark and Toyota Stadium. As of early 2024, the segment between the ballpark and Main Street Frisco is relatively undeveloped, as are the rural areas north of Frisco. The Dallas North Tollway currently ends at US 380, with Dallas Parkway continuing north as a county road.

Capacity projects and extensions[edit]

At the Tollway's southern end, near downtown, the agency has rebuilt the road around the main toll plaza and added ramps at Oak Lawn Avenue. This project, started in 2006, ended in late fall 2008. On the southern sector of the tollway, the agency plans to spend about US$43 million to add an entrance and exit at Oak Lawn and rebuild most of the tollway surface from the I-35E ramps to Lemmon Avenue. The tollway authority has completely rebuilt the aging toll plaza, adding a third TollTag express lane in each direction. This work coincides with major projects by the city of Dallas to rebuild part of Oak Lawn under the tollway, and by Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) to build a rail line along nearby Harry Hines Boulevard.

The North Texas Tollway Authority started work in January 2006 at seven North Dallas locations to improve ramps and add merging lanes. The project cost US$14 million. Northbound projects included adding acceleration or auxiliary lanes between Keller Springs and Trinity Mills roads and between Alpha and Spring Valley roads. Southbound projects include adding outside lane pavement at the President George Bush Turnpike exit; between the Bush Turnpike entrance ramp and Frankford Road; between the Frankford entrance ramp and Sojourn Drive; around the Keller Springs exit at the main lane toll plaza; and between the Keller Springs toll plaza and Spring Valley. The projects would noticeably lengthen many shorter merging lanes, including one at Trinity Mills where vehicles must merge quickly after driving around a curve.

On December 20, 2023,[2] the NTTA announced the Tollway's latest extension. This six lane extension runs 6 miles (9.7 km) through Prosper and Celina, ends at FM 428, and is expected to cost $460 Million. The Tollway segment between the Sam Rayburn Tollway and US 380 will also be widened during this time, with both projects scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027.[10]

It is expected that future extensions will follow the Dallas Parkway alignment. As of early 2024 the Parkway reaches Gunter's West Main Street, four miles west of the Gunter central business district. So far, all extensions are following the general outline of the 2011 Grayson County Tollway study. [11] This study projects an alignment north to US 82 that then veers northeast to the Tollway's end, a connection with US 75 in North Denison.

Exit list[edit]

Due to the continuous frontage road system north of I-635, those exits serve more than one roadway. This table lists the combined destinations as they would be viewed when traveling in the northbound direction, though southbound exits will occasionally be grouped in a different way. NTTA does not provide mile reference markers or exit numbers. However, reference markers are provided at 500-foot (150 m) intervals along the major corridors. These markers are installed on the top of the concrete traffic barrier along the DNT corridor. The reference marker corresponds to the station of the alignment in the construction plans. All exits are unnumbered.

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
DallasDallas0.00.0
I-35E south / Harry Hines Boulevard south – Downtown Dallas
Exit 429D on I-35E (Stemmons Freeway)
0.20.32 Oak Lawn AvenueSouthbound exit and northbound entrance; to Parkland Hospital and UT Southwestern Medical Center
0.81.3Wycliff AvenueSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
0.91.4Wycliff Main Lane Gantry
1.21.9Lemmon AvenueNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
Highland Park2.43.9Mockingbird LaneTolled southbound exit and northbound entrance
University Park3.35.3Lovers LaneNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
Dallas4.47.1 Loop 12 (Northwest Highway)Tolled southbound exit and northbound entrance
5.28.4Walnut Hill LaneNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
6.510.5Royal Lane / Windhaven RoadTolled southbound exit and northbound entrance
7.512.1Forest LaneNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
8.213.2Harvest Hill RoadNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
8.714.0 I-635Exits 22C-D on I-635 (Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway)
9.114.6Alpha Road / Galleria Road – Galleria Dallas
Farmers Branch10.016.1Spring Valley Road / Verde Valley Lane / Quorum DriveTolled northbound exit and southbound entrance
Addison10.917.5Belt Line Road / Arapaho Road / Quorum Drive / Verde Valley LaneTolled northbound exit and southbound entrance
11.518.5Keller Springs Road / Addison Airport Tunnel / Arapaho Road / Westgrove DriveTolled northbound exit and southbound entrance
13.020.9Trinity Mills Main Line Gantry
CollinDallas13.421.6Trinity Mills Road / Briargrove LaneNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
14.222.9Frankford Road / Haverwood Lane / Trinity Mills Road / Westgrove DriveTolled southbound exit and northbound entrance
14.924.0 Pres. George Bush Turnpike
Plano15.224.5Plano ParkwayNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
16.226.1Chapel Hill Road / Park Boulevard / Plano ParkwayTolled northbound exit and southbound entrance
16.726.9Parker Main Lane Gantry
17.227.7 Parker Road / Chapel Hill RoadTolled southbound exit and northbound entrance); to Plano Presbyterian Hospital
17.828.6Windhaven Parkway
18.830.3Tennyson Parkway / Spring Creek ParkwayTolled southbound exit and northbound entrance
19.531.4Legacy Drive / Tennyson ParkwayTolled southbound exit and northbound entrance
19.932.0 SH 121 / Headquarters DriveTolled northbound exit and southbound entrance
20.432.8 Sam Rayburn Tollway – Lewisville, McKinney
Frisco21.334.3 Gaylord Parkway / Warren ParkwayTolled northbound exit and southbound entrance); to Baylor Medical Center
22.736.5John Hickman Parkway / Lebanon RoadTolled northbound exit and southbound entrance
23.337.5Stonebrook ParkwayTolled northbound exit and southbound entrance
24.940.1Cotton Gin Road / Main StreetTolled northbound exit and southbound entrance
25.941.7Eldorado Main Lane Gantry
26.743.0 FM 2934 (Eldorado Parkway)Tolled southbound exit and northbound entrance
27.744.6Panther Creek Parkway
29.747.8Fields Parkway / PGA ParkwayNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
30.248.6 US 380 (Dallas Parkway) / CR 27 north – Denton, GreenvilleAt-grade intersection, future interchange (Phase 4A); Dallas Parkway continues north as CR 27
Prosper31.250.2CR 3 (First Street) / Lovers ParkwayAt-grade intersection, future interchange (Phase 4A)
32.251.8CR 4 (Prosper Trail)At-grade intersection, future interchange (Phase 4A)
33.253.4CR 5 (Frontier Parkway)At-grade intersection, future interchange (Phase 4A)
Celina34.154.9CR 51 (Light Farms Way)At-grade intersection, future interchange (Phase 4A)
34.956.2CR 7 (Punk Carter Parkway)At-grade intersection, future interchange (Phase 4A)
35.356.8CR 51 (Proposed Outer Loop Freeway)At-grade intersection, future interchange (Phase 4A)
36.458.6 FM 428Northern terminus of CR 27, future interchange (Phase 4A)
CR 54Future interchange (Phase 4B)
CollinDenton
county line
CR 5 / CR 8 (Mobberly Road)Future interchange (Phase 4B)
CR 9Future interchange (Phase 4B)
Future Road 1Future interchange (Phase 4B)
FM 455Future interchange (Phase 4B)
Fritcher RoadFuture interchange (Phase 4B)
Future Road 2Future interchange (Phase 4B)
GraysonBerend Road / Future Road 3Future interchange (Phase 5A)
Jaresh Road / Future Road 4Future interchange (Phase 5A)
Stiff Chapel Road / Future Road 5Future interchange (Phase 5A)
FM 121Future interchange (Phase 5A)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Google Maps
  2. ^ a b "NTTA Board Approves Dallas North Tollway Extension Contracts | NTTA". www.ntta.org. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  3. ^ Lindenberger, Michael A (August 15, 2007). "NTTA says goodbye to cash at toll booths". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved September 30, 2007.
  4. ^ "AllETC". Archived from the original on April 27, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2007.
  5. ^ "December2010SpecialEdition". Archived from the original on December 15, 2010. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  6. ^ https://maps.google.com/maps/place?ftid=0x864c3c866a95acd3:0xfdcab511df21126&q=Dallas+Parkway,+Dallas,+TX&hl=en&ved=0CAwQ-gswAA&sa=X&ei=TsThUOSXB6eIwQGa94GgCA Dallas Pkwy, Dallas Google Maps
  7. ^ Payne, Jimmie (June 2, 1968). "A Long Road is Ending". Dallas Morning News.
  8. ^ "Tollway Extension To Open" (PDF). NTTA. September 24, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2007.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ "New Toll Rates" (PDF). NTTA. August 16, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 20, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2007.
  10. ^ Rajwani-Dharsi, Naheed (January 4, 2024). "The Dallas North Tollway gets a 6-mile extension". Axios Dallas. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  11. ^ "Grayson County Texas". www.co.grayson.tx.us. Retrieved March 17, 2024.

External links[edit]

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