TxDOT and Tarrant County Commissioner Alisa Simmons provided the community with an update during a town hall on Thursday. Construction has reached its peak phase.
ARLINGTON, Texas — At every corner along I-20 and I-820, construction is well underway for the Southeast Connector project in Tarrant County.
On Thursday, County Commissioner Alisa Simmons and the Texas Dept. of Transportation held a town hall to provide the community with an update on the major expansion project.
According to South-Point Constructors Public Information Officer Nicholas Andrishak, the project is in its peak construction phase and about halfway done.
The $1.6 billion project, which has the largest allotment of funds in TxDOT-Fort Worth history, is currently on schedule with an expected completion in February 2028.
The Southeast Connector project will rebuild and widen approximately 16 miles of I-20 and I-820. It will widen I-20 to 10 main lanes from I-820 to US 287, expand I-820 to eight main lanes from I-20 to Spur 303 (Rosedale Street) and reconstruct the I-20, I-820 and US 287 interchanges.
This highly anticipated project will tie in the east and southeast parts of Tarrant County to the central part of the county while relieving congestion.
“It’s a necessary nightmare right now,” Simmons said. “But in the end, it’ll provide safety and more mobility and accessibility.”
Simmons said residents in her precinct have expressed frustrations about the traffic congestion caused by ongoing construction.
Every day, 200,000 vehicles travel through I-20, according to TxDOT. In the last four decades, the number of registered vehicles in Texas has increased by 179%, but highway space has only increased a mere 19%, TxDOT said.
Andrishak urged the public to slow down in the area as construction continues to ramp up.
“Throughout this year, we’re gonna see some larger impacts, maybe a little bit larger than folks saw in the previous year. We’re mainly rebuilding bridges and opening up key frontage roads connecting Forest Hill and the City of Arlington.”
Simmons said the construction is a sign of progress and reminded the community that the traffic headaches won’t last forever.
