Trinity tollroad in Dallas delayed by dike peek

The Trinity tollroad will be delayed at least 20 months with more work needed to evaluate the Trinity River flood levees on which it is planned to be constructed.  The US Army Corps of Engineers said recently it couldn't approve construction on the river levees without some 1500 bore samples being taken and remediation to allow the levees to withstand an 800-year flood event.

The tollroad is being sponsored and championed b y the mayor of Dallas Tom Leppert who previously had said he wanted it open  in 2014. Now he says it will be delayed until 2016.

The city of Dallas is voting $29m for the test bores and remediation.

The tollroad would provide a new north south alternative to I-35E from just south of the central business district to the north.

USACE is a civilian agency with many activist environmentalists on staff who oppose new roads.

Trinity tollroad would be built and operated by North Texas Tollway Authority.

TOLLROADSnews 2009-06-04