A heavily used flyover ramp connecting I-35 and U.S. 183 will close for construction starting Sunday night, weather permitting, and remain closed for an estimated four months. Two new flyovers will open at the same time.
The ramp closing connects I-35 northbound with U.S. 183 north. The Texas Department of Transportation says the construction project will reduce the incline of the ramp so larger vehicles can more easily maintain speed. TxDOT says large trucks often slow down and contribute to traffic backing up onto the main lanes of I-35.
Entrance and exit ramps in the area are also being reconfigured.
The closure of the flyover will require drivers to travel almost 2 miles farther north to exit at Rundberg Lane, complete a turnaround under I-35, use a dedicated onramp to detour back on I-35 and then take the new flyover connecting I-35 southbound with 183 northbound.
Meanwhile, TxDOT plans to open two flyovers connecting I-35 southbound with U.S. 183 on Sunday night. One ramp will take people to U.S. 183 northbound. The other will connect with U.S. 183 southbound.
This is part of a $124.2 million construction project focused on a stretch of I-35 from Rundberg Lane to U.S. 290 East. The project included replacing the St. John’s Avenue Bridge over I-35.
Some homes and businesses were displaced by the broader construction project. They include a building at Towne Oaks Apartments that housed eight apartment units. The University Inn Hotel, the Days Inn Hotel, Discovery Auto Sales and Lone Star Restaurant Supply each had a portion of their property expropriated for the right of way. Under federal law, TxDOT is required to pay "fair market value" for the property and provide relocation assistance to anyone displaced.
The project is running behind the schedule outlined in an environmental assessment completed in July 2016. TxDOT had said then that the project would be completed in 2020.
