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Closures on I-30 spark mixed reaction from Dallas residents
Some Dallas residents were unaware I-30 near downtown would be closed this weekend. FOX 4's Amelia Jones has more.
DALLAS - Heads up Dallas drivers: TxDOT announced a major closure this weekend on I-30.
What we know:
All lanes going eastbound and westbound on I-30 just south of downtown Dallas will be closed through the weekend.
The I-30 canyon, as TxDOT calls it, is a common route for many drivers. The closure is part of an improvement project to reconstruct and widen the highway.
Local perspective:
Part of I-30 in Downtown Dallas to be closed this weekend
A section of roadway in Downtown Dallas that’s been in need of a facelift for decades will be closed this weekend.
We spoke to people at the Fuel City near downtown Dallas. About half knew the closure was coming, the others heard it first from us.
"Every day, every day I do. I travel from Arlington to Grand Prairie," says Dallas resident Quayson Greenidge, who didn’t know about the closure until we told him.
Now he plans to rethink his weekend plans, as the closure adds some difficulty.
"To be honest, it really is. It really is. Only because that's the main highway coming from the west side to like downtown," Greenidge said of the closure.
What they're saying:
TxDOT posted the detour routes on social media. Drivers can take Woodall Rodgers freeway north of downtown as an alternate route. People are advised to avoid unnecessary travel in the area, but if you can't, expect delays.
The project is expected to take years, and there will no doubt be more closures coming up.
More congestion is not what Carlin Norman wants to hear.
"I was here and I sustained all of that traffic right there going across the Trinity. It seems like it takes so long," Norman, who lives in Glenn Heights, told FOX 4 News.
The portion of I-30 that's closed is the fastest route for Norman’s daughter to get to work at the Omni Hotel in downtown Dallas.
"I'm like wow, what's that gonna do to her? It's gonna impact the travel and I don't even know if she even knows how to get off and maneuver through this," Norman continued. "I’ll let my daughter know what's gonna be the best route for her to go, that's all I can say."
What's next:
We reached out to TxDOT today for an interview. They couldn’t speak with us but did share another weekend closure is likely coming in the next few weeks. The I-30 canyon project is expected to be completed in 2030.
The Source: Information in this article came from FOX 4 reporting.