Frustration grows over I-30/SH 360 construction in Arlington
ARLINGTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Frustration and concern are growing in Arlington over the new interchange being built at Interstate 30 and State Highway 360.
The project is scheduled to be completed in 2023, but this week, a TXDOT spokesman issued a statement that said the project's timeline would be revised. "Construction schedule revisions for the $264 million dollar project are currently underway with all the project partners, and we expect an updated timeline soon."
A different spokesman said Friday afternoon that he couldn't provide any more details.
At nearby Boston's Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar, Manager Manuel Gutierrez said, "I wish it was done two years ago. I wish it would have been done already."
But the reality is there's a lot more work to be done before the new interchange will be completed.
While some of the elevated ramps have been opened to traffic, others are still in the process of going up.
Gutierrez said the lunch crowd shrank after construction began in March of 2016.
All of the resulting congestion has led to financial indigestion. "We struggle to get sales in and to be able to pay the rent on time."
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross isn't happy about the pace of the project either. "It certainly feels like that project has been going on forever."
Ross said he worries the project could take another two to three years to wrap up.
He said he's heard the COVID-19 pandemic has caused problems with staffing and materials. "The bottom line is it's taken too long. We need to get this thing wrapped up. The businesses around there deserve it. The community deserves it. People are tired of driving through all of the construction."
As crews replace the old clover-leaf turnpike configuration with a new direct connect interchange, Travis Church, a driver who often visits North Texas, said he's seen enough. "It's a nightmare. If it's like this next year, I'm going to choose a different section."
When asked what his message is to TXDOT, Gutierrez said, "I hope they can get it done and they can start working faster so they can help the businesses around this area to get more traffic into the restaurants, into our doors so we can stay alive, so we can stay open."