Construction of a Fort Worth outer loop (Houston, Dallas: airport, moving)

[nhoward45]

Fort Worth, unlike Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Tyler, and Lubbock, does not have a designated, under construction, or completed outer loop. There is the DFW Outer Loop proposed by the North Central Texas Council of Governments, but their most recent studies show no planned work on the Tarrant County section of that Outer Loop through 2045. That project is moving ahead very slowly with the Collin County Outer Loop and Loop 9 in southern Dallas and Ellis Counties.

Continued growth in the Fort Worth area necessitates consideration of a separate project for the Fort Worth area. With the upgrade of SH 170 to Interstate 35 as a freeway under way, there is the potential for an outer loop along the northern edge of Tarrant County and extending into Parker County. Extending SH 170 first to US 287 and later to SH 199 in the Azle area would be a first step. From that point, SH 170 could be extended to the Parker County Outer Loop near Weatherford. Such a project would improve access for the northwestern and western suburbs of Fort Worth to DFW Airport and beyond. It would also attract greater residential and business growth. At a later date, the southern leg of a Fort Worth Outer Loop should be considered, perhaps aligning closely with FM 1187.

[RayStokes]

Without first debating whether or not Fort Worth could use a second loop further north and south, what loop does Tyler or Lubbock have that 820 isn't an equal to?

[nhoward45]

Tyler's outer loop is partially completed, and augments a surface street loop built in the 1950s, which is heavily used as a city street rather than a bypass. Interstate 20 serves as a long distance bypass, as it passes well north of downtown Tyler. The Lubbock Outer Loop is in its preliminary stages of construction, and will not be completed until at least 2042.

Tarrant County's growth rate at 17%, or 300,000 residents, far exceeds that of Lubbock County, at 11% or 30,000, based on 2020 Census data. The main outer loop plan for the Tarrant County area encompasses the DFW Loop plan, but details are vague and look past 2050 for completion. Only small steps have been taken for frontage roads in Collin County and the Loop 9 project straddling the Dallas-Ellis County line.

The benefits to Northwest Tarrant County would be improved access to DFW Airport and the Mid-Cities with the extension of SH 170 first to SH 199, and later to the Parker County Outer Loop partially completed around Weatherford. An outer loop that would ultimately connect with Interstate 20 west of Weatherford would also enable better truck access to and from West Texas into the Fort Worth area, particularly the Alliance and DFW Airport areas. While Loop 820 may be adequate at present, with the rates of growth anticipated, county and state officials should speed up work on the Fort Worth Outer Loop.