Highway 161 construction planned
Project will start at I-20 and move north through Grand Prairie

Construction of Grand Prairie's segment of State Highway 161 will begin in the city's southern end at Interstate 20 and work northward, state transportation officials said. The project is expected to start with the construction of a diamond interchange at I-20 between Matthew and Robinson roads. The location is the site of Lake Ridge Parkway's future extension. Officials will accept bids for the project in 2003.

The interchange will be built with funding from the Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century. The Transportation Equity Act was enacted in 1998 and authorizes federal surface transportation programs for highways, highway safety, and transit issues over a 6-year span. "What we decided to do was let that job first with the interchange at Lake Ridge Parkway," said Dan Perge, assistant advanced project development engineer with the Texas Department of Transportation. "That's the most advanced point we have in design. . . . Once that's being done, the next segment is to extend frontage roads from [Interstate] 20 to [Interstate] 30."

The interchange is part of the massive State Highway 161 project, which is expected to displace 59 single-family home and seven duplexes. Eleven individual businesses, a shopping complex that leases to about eight firms, two churches, part of a park and 78 vacant tracts of land will also be affected. The state highway will form the western part of a 100-mile loop around the Dallas area, with Plano, Richardson and Carrollton on the north, Garland and Rowlett on the east and Lancaster and DeSoto on the south. "This arterial is going to be very critical for the traffic flow in our area of the metroplex," Mayor Pro Tem Jim Swafford said. "It's critical we get it started as soon as we possibly can. I think the transportation people are starting to realize that."

Resident Troy Wright said starting in the south makes sense, too. "That will really be a relief for south-end traffic," said Mr. Wright, whose home is near the proposed interchange. City Manager Tom Hart said the project will affect the entire area. "You only have to drive State Highway 360 to see that," he said. "The traffic impact is a regional, significant improvement." By starting on the city's southern end, the highway project will quickly open up large areas for development. "I see some of the best land left in the metroplex that's going to be opened up by this project," Mr. Hart said. "We've got hopes and dreams of maybe having a mall or at least a very special mixed-use retail area there with very high development standards. This is just great."

Right-of-way acquisition has just begun for the project in the area surrounding the proposed interchange and from I-20 to Jefferson Street. "The process that we use is to begin acquisition in the most work-intensive areas, which was the portion around I-30. That's why we started there first," said Travis Henderson, interim acquisition supervisor for the Dallas district. Most of the land in the southern portion is undeveloped and easier to acquire, Mr. Perge said. Mr. Wright said he welcomes the commercial and retail development the highway can bring. "We're not going to live there always," he said. "We're going to have to decide whether we want progress or what we had, say, 10 years ago in Grand Prairie - just a slow walk." He prefers progress. "We've got the population coming, we've got to take care of it," Mr. Wright said.

Some neighbors have initiated talks with city officials about re-zoning their properties from residential to commercial and retail use, said resident Howard Jones. He said they know traffic will worsen with the upcoming opening of a new Wal-Mart Supercenter at Great Southwest Parkway and the development of State Highway 161. "We don't really want to live here with all the traffic that is coming through here now," Mr. Jones said. Even so, he said he supports the highway plans. "I'll just be delighted to have it completed," Mr. Jones said. "They need the infrastructure to get the traffic through and flowing."