IH 820 East Corridor North interchange at SH 121 to Randol Mill Road

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Project Description

The IH 820 improvement project is designed to expand East Interstate Highway 820 (IH 820) in Tarrant County, TX, from the north interchange at State Highway 121 (SH 121) south to Randol Mill Road within the cities of Richland Hills, Hurst, and Fort Worth.

IH 820 is an eight-lane freeway with frontage roads between the north interchange at SH 121 and the south interchange at SH 121. From the south interchange to Randol Mill Road, the freeway has four lanes with no frontage roads.

The proposed project would include reconstruction of the south interchange with SH 121. IH 820 would be widened and upgraded to 8/10 lanes with auxiliary lanes supplementing the freeway where needed. Continuous frontage roads and a reversible high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane would be provided from the north interchange at SH 121 to Trinity Boulevard.

The planned right-of-way width for the project would vary from 350 to 400 feet, with greater widths at crossroads and interchange connections. The project would require about 50 acres of additional right-of-way. In addition, vertical retaining walls are proposed at many locations to reduce residential and business displacements.

The proposed improvements to IH 820 are needed to safely accommodate existing and projected traffic in this area of Tarrant County and to maintain access to various businesses and other developments along the highway.

As Tarrant County grows, so too will traffic volumes. IH 820 is already experiencing congestion because of the high number of vehicles using this roadway. Additional lanes and a reversible HOV lane will increase the capacity of the freeway.

The IH 820 improvements project began in 1987 with preliminary project planning. TxDOT met with public agencies to identify possible alternatives for the proposed expansion and presented the most reasonable alternatives during a public meeting held in 1993. With public input, TxDOT then selected a preferred alternative for expansion of an approximately three-mile stretch of IH 820 in Tarrant County from the north interchange at SH 121 south to Randol Mill Road.

Since the public meeting, TxDOT has developed a draft environmental assessment (EA) and schematic for the preferred alternatives. In addition, TxDOT has continued to meet with public agencies to discuss and incorporate developments affecting this project.

A public hearing then took place in December 2003 to discuss the proposed plan and environmental effects for reconstruction of IH 820, and to provide an opportunity for the public to offer additional comments and concerns.

TxDOT received a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the project in March 2004.

For more information contact:

John Tillinghast, P.E.
Project Manager
Texas Department of Transportation

Phone (817) 370-6594
Fax (817) 370-6759
Email jtilly@dot.state.tx.us