Traffic News
TxDOT seeks your 2 cents about I-345 freeway in downtown Dallas
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is hosting meetings to hear what people want to do about Interstate 345, the stretch of highway on the east side of downtown Dallas that extends from I-30 to Woodall Rogers Freeway.
TxDOT is at the beginning of a process of conducting a feasibility study, which will analyze all the alternatives. That process is expected to take place over the next two years. It starts with these meetings.
A spokesperson says that the agency is completely open to all suggestions, with no restriction on ideas.
So far, four plans have been floated:
- Remove it completely
- Rebuild it so that it's below street level like US-75
- Get rid of some of the on ramps to reduce its profile on surface streets
- Leave it alone
But if you have other input on the future of I-345, now's the time to speak up.
The meetings will be held in an "open house" format, with maps showing the location as well as info about how they're going to approach the study. Representatives from TxDOT and project consultants will be available to answer questions.
Coalition For a New Dallas, a group advocating the removal of I-345, calls this an opportunity to rebuild Dallas' urban core. They say that replacing I-345 with boulevards, and transforming the surrounding 245 acres into a mixed-income, mixed-use neighborhood will generate jobs, create affordable housing, and improve the quality of life.
The opposition is less organized, but protests the loss of freeway access for vehicles wanting to cut across town.
The meetings are as follows:
Tuesday December 3, 6-8 pm: CityPlace Conference Center (Lakewood Room) at 2711 N. Haskell Ave. The presentation takes place at 7 pm. Parking for self-park is complimentary and will be validated with a parking ticket.
Thursday December 5, 10 am-8 pm. Sheraton Dallas Hotel ballroom at 400 N. Olive St. Presentations will be held at 12 noon, 4:30 pm, and 7 pm. Parking for self-park is complimentary and will be validated with a parking ticket.
If you can't make the meetings but have something to say, you can submit written comments. You can submit them in person at the public meetings, or by mail to TxDOT Dallas District Office, ATTN: Mr. Travis Campbell, P.E., TxDOT Project Manager, 4777 E. Highway 80, Mesquite, Texas 75150-6643. You can also email at 345study@txdot.gov.
Written comments must be postmarked by Friday, December 20, 2019 to be included in the public meeting documentation.
