Dallas City Council gives TxDOT green light and $1 billion for “hybrid trench” plan to reconfigure I-345
Dallas, Texas – In an unequivocal 14-0 verdict, the Dallas City Council has green-lighted a $1 billion transportation overhaul proposed by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), commonly referred to as the “hybrid trench” blueprint. This grand project targets the reshaping of I-345, an expansive elevated highway that currently acts as a physical demarcation between downtown Dallas and the culturally vibrant neighborhood of Deep Ellum located to its east.
As reported by The Dallas Morning News, the ambitious strategy envisages a comprehensive dismantling of the 1.4-mile elevated freeway, an artery that originates at the terminus of Highway 75. The reconstruction will submerge this significant urban conduit, replacing it with a sub-grade infrastructure, capped by freshly minted overpasses.
Contrarily, the hybrid blueprint, despite its engineering ingenuity, has garnered a substantial portion of critique, particularly from advocates championing a bolder proposal. This alternative recommendation envisaged the complete removal of I-345, supplanted by surface-level boulevards aimed at fostering a more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly milieu. However, the TxDOT, as pointed out by the DMN, has firmly dismissed this suggestion. The rejection stems from concerns over significantly protracted commuting durations and potential civil rights violations stemming from the disruption of a vital transportation link bridging the southern and northern sectors of Dallas.
“It’s not perfect,” Council Member Omar Narvaez said, according to the DMN. “But this motion takes us into that next phase, that next level that we need to do in order to get this design accurate and make sure that it’s right.”
In its unanimous endorsement, the city council has outlined specific prerequisites as reported by the DMN. The council stipulated that TxDOT must conduct biannual briefings to a designated council committee throughout the project’s design phase. The briefings will serve to update the committee on the progress of the reconstruction plan. Further, TxDOT has been mandated to integrate the city’s racial equity blueprint and economic development guidelines into the project’s overall framework.
Moreover, the council has deemed it necessary for TxDOT to explore potential strategies to divert truck traffic from I-345. This initiative aims at reducing the congestion and wear-and-tear often associated with heavy vehicular movement.
In the forthcoming steps, an environmental impact study is now on the horizon. This exhaustive analysis is expected to span roughly two years. As a result, the actual commencement of the construction phase is tentatively scheduled for either 2028 or 2029, marking the dawn of a significant infrastructural transformation for the city.
