Don't take I-30 to Fort Worth this weekend unless you absolutely have to

If you're thinking about heading to Fort Worth this weekend via I-30, think twice: The Texas Department of Transportation will be shutting the freeway down, both east and westbound lanes, in order to do major construction on a bridge.

The span affected will be in Arlington, from FM 157/Collins Street to SH 161/President George Bush Turnpike. It'll start Friday, November 6 at 7 pm and end Sunday, November 8 at 7 am.

They'll be removing the SH 360 northbound main lane bridge and partially removing the northbound frontage road bridge, both of which cross over I-30.

Drivers should expect big delays along the detour route and are encouraged to seek alternate routes.

The closure is subject to changes due to weather, but it's supposedly going to be nice this weekend.

The closure is part of the I-30/SH 360 Interchange Project in Arlington, which will replace the existing cloverleaf turnpike configuration with a new interchange.

Detour routes

• Eastbound I-30 motorists will be directed to southbound FM 157/Collins Street, then eastbound on SH 180/Division Street, then to the northbound SH 161 frontage road, to the eastbound I-30 direct connector ramp (toll free during the detour). And then it's back on eastbound I-30.
• Westbound I-30 motorists will take the opposite detour.
• SH 360 access to westbound I-30 will be directed through the SH 180/Division Street interchange. Eastbound I-30 access from Six Flags Drive will remain open.
• Additionally, a northbound SH 360 frontage road detour will be in place at the same time during the bridge demolition: The northbound frontage road detour is westbound Six Flags Drive, westbound Road to Six Flags Road, northbound Ballpark Way, and eastbound Lamar Boulevard.

The Interstate 30/State Highway 360 interchange project is replacing the original 1950's Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike cloverleaf design with a "modern, fully directional interchange" with connection ramps for all movements between I-30 and SH 360.

Hmm. If you've ever driven westbound on I-30 into downtown Dallas, which was updated by TxDOT into what is now an oft-confusing cluster, then you would be totally justified in questioning the skillset of TxDOT's road designers and wondering if the 1950s original might in fact be superior in the end.