Dallas–Fort Worth / Construction archive
Fort Worth Mixmaster Construction
September 4, 2000 · Historical photographs
The Fort Worth Mixmaster was nearly finished in September 2000, after about a decade of construction. These photographs show the new stack, the old elevated freeway it replaced and fresh I-30 pavement just before traffic began moving.
↗ EnlargeA new stack rises south of downtown Fort Worth.
September 4, 2000 · 7 photographs
The new stack and the freeway it replaced
All photos taken September 4, 2000
↗ EnlargeLooking east over the stack construction zone
↗ EnlargeThe original downtown elevated freeway
↗ EnlargeLooking north across I-35W
↗ EnlargeRamps under construction
↗ EnlargeBeneath the new I-30 lanes
↗ EnlargeThe new and old I-30 alignments
↗ EnlargeNew I-30 pavement west of the interchange
Historical archive · 3 source figures
Maps and rendering
Fort Worth Mixmaster (I-35W/I-30)
On the southeast edge of downtown, the Fort Worth Mixmaster is a massive interchange that has been under construction for about 10 years and is nearing completion. This project had its roots in the 1980's, when TxDOT had plans to expand the existing elevated freeway through downtown. After a long battle, local opposition convinced TxDOT to rebuild the freeway on a new location, just south of the existing facility. This part of downtown Fort Worth isn't particularly nice, so I never really understood why the freeway opposition fought so hard to relocate the freeway. But is seems to have been a good thing, because the freeway relocation made the massive new stack possible.
Update 15-October-2000:
The eastbound I-30 main lanes were opened to traffic! The westbound main lanes and the two connector ramps to westbound I-30 will open the week of October 16.
The existing elevated freeway, which was completed in 1958, will be demolished.
The heavy rail traffic on the rail lines which pass underneath the interchange added to the complexity of the construction.
↗ EnlargeFort Worth Mixmaster locator map
↗ EnlargeFort Worth Mixmaster replacement alignment map
↗ Enlarge