NTTA reaches halfway mark in construction of new toll bridge

The North Texas Tollway Authority celebrated an important milestone last week as it reached the halfway mark in the construction of the Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge.

As part of a regional effort, NTTA is working cooperatively with Denton County, the Texas Department of Transportation and the cities of Frisco, Little Elm and Lake Dallas to build the bridge portion of the 13.8-mile overall Lewisville Lake corridor project.

The LLTB is now 50 percent complete after 18 months of construction with the remaining corridor sections in various stages of completion. The progress marks a major turnaround after last summer's record-breaking precipitation caused the lake's level to rise resulting in a cessation of construction.

Upon completion, the LLTB corridor will open a new east-west connection between Interstate Highway (35E and the Dallas North Tollway, transforming Denton County's infrastructure and providing more mobility options for area residents.

"This is a major milestone for NTTA as we work to improve mobility by expanding transportation options for motorists in the region," said Jeff Dailey, NTTA's Assistant Executive Director of Project Delivery. "We believe that this project and State Highway 121 will benefit Denton County residents in particular.”

The 1.7-mile toll bridge, a key segment in the Lewisville Lake corridor project, is scheduled to open to traffic in the third quarter of 2009. The NTTA is responsible for the design, construction and operation of the toll bridge portion of the corridor. The toll bridge will feature two lanes in each direction and an all-electronic tolling system on the project's western approach. In other words, drivers will not have to stop or look for change to pay the toll needed to drive over the bridge.

In addition, the LLTB design boasts a 360-foot-long red steel tied arch near the center of the bridge.

The lighted, semicircular arch will be tied together 58 feet above bridge traffic, spanning all four lanes of the bridge. And at its center, the 8-foot thick bridge sits 52 feet above the Lewisville Lake spillway elevation, meaning that the top of the arch will soar 118 feet above the lake surface. The tall arch, coupled with lighted columns approaching both ends of the span, is destined to give motorists, area residents and boaters an easily recognizable landmark in southern Denton County.

Furthermore, the corridor project includes improvements to the portions of major roadways that follow existing western and eastern routes near Lewisville Lake such as Swisher Road and Eldorado Parkway.