Irving joins other agencies for expansion of MacArthur Boulevard

  • 2016-02-15
The City of Irving, the City of Grand Prairie, the North Central Texas Council of Governments, and Dallas County have partnered on a project to expand MacArthur Boulevard.

Officials from the various communities and agencies broke ground on January 28, to mark the start of the expansion.

The project will transform MacArthur Boulevard from two lanes to four, which will help improve traffic flow, particularly when traffic increases due to events at Lone Star Park or the Verizon Theatre. According to Dr. Elba Garcia, Dallas County Commissioner, the renovation includes bike lanes, sidewalks, and will connect to the area's systems of trails. Garcia said the new highway will serve as a connector to take care of the traffic coming from the Verizon Theatre. Construction is expected to be completed by January 2018.

Dennis Webb, who is the pro-tem mayor of Irving, said he liked being part of the expansion project, but wished Garcia had been in office much earlier, as he used to drive the route for ten years, and often got caught in traffic. Webb added that the project would make it safer for people to travel from Irving to Grand Prairie and back.

Officials of the agencies involved could work with a flyer printing company on a mailer for residents, explaining the scope of the work and suggesting alternate routes for drivers to use during construction.