CONVERSION OF TWO-WAY FRONTAGE ROADS TO ONE-WAY IH 30 in Texarkana
Introduction Video
Texarkana Two cities Two states One MPO
Texarkana IH 30
U.S. Post Office and Court House
IH 30 Corridor IH 30 constructed in 1960s in the rural area Two-way frontage roads provided access City growth & development moved north toward IH 30 Two-way frontage roads were extended Gaps remained in frontage road system IH 30 main lanes used for both local and regional traffic Strain on transportation network
Economic Growth along IH 30 Corridor
Economic Growth along IH 30 Corridor
Project Overview Project initiated in Summer 2000, with intent to improve IH 30 interchanges at State Line Ave. and US 59 Project grew as a result of public input and overall traffic needs identified as a result of various studies and improvements listed in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan
IH 30 @ State Line Ave. - Cloverleaf
IH 30 @ US 59 Interchange - Trumpet
Efforts to Develop Solution Texarkana MPO initiated a comprehensive study for the frontage road system Studies and Reports 2000: IH30 Frontage Road Conversion, Texarkana, USA; Texarkana MPO 2001: Texarkana Area Frontage Road Study; Texarkana MPO 2001: IH 30 Reconstruction Project, City of Texarkana; TxDOT 2002: IH 30 Texarkana Corridor Construction Staging Report; TxDOT 2002: IH 30/State Line Ave Cloverleaf Interchange LOS Analysis; TxDOT 2002: Interstate 30 Interchange Analysis; Texarkana, Arkansas; AHTD 2003: US 59/IH 30 Configuration Recommendations; TxDOT Advance Planning/Schematics Several versions/alternatives Three Public Meetings Interstate Access Justification Report
Frontage Road Warrant Study
Studies and Reports
IH 30 Frontage Road Reconstruction Project Begin Project: FM 989 in TX End Project: Jefferson Ave in AR
Project Goals Improve traffic operations at intersections
Project Goals Reduce the opportunity for accidents
Project Goals Safer design to handle increasing traffic loads
Project Goals Separate local and regional traffic Improve mobility for through traffic
Public Involvement Opportunities Public Participation Plan Texarkana MPO Meetings Presentations to Policy Board, Technical Committee and Citizens Advisory Committee Public Meetings Three Open House Meetings News articles Meeting coverage Editorials Meetings with Affected Property Owners (MAPOs) Property Owners Business Owners Opportunity for a Public Hearing
Public Meeting #1: 2001
Public Meeting #2: 2003
Public Meeting #3: 2005
Presentations to the Texarkana MPO Kept local leaders informed
Business Owners Concerns Customer Service Product Quality Product Price
News Articles
Editorials Expanding and changing the frontage road system may not be a perfect fix and may create some new problems. As some officials will point out, access on a one-way road will mean longer trips in some cases, but turnaround lanes at certain interchanges could help solve that problem. And whether an improved system would mean economic growth remains to be seen. Advantages do seem to outweigh the disadvantages... - Texarkana Gazette Editorial
Business Owners Concerns
Business Owners Concerns
Educate & Inform What is a Collector-Distributor Road?
Final Steps Opportunity for a Public Hearing January 2006 Environmental clearance February 2006 Plans finalized May 2006 Construction Letting July 2006
Project Funding Contract let for $153.5 million $131.1 million State & Federal funds Categories 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, and 12 $3.7 million from Bowie County $3.7 million from City of Texarkana, Texas $12.4 million from State of Arkansas Portion of the project in Arkansas (between State Line Ave & Jefferson Ave) Largest and most expensive TxDOT project in NE Texas at the time
Groundbreaking Ceremony
Project Components Turnarounds One-way, continuous frontage roads Collector-Distributor roads Reconstructed interchanges & cross streets Additional crossovers Pavilion Parkway Underpass University Ave. Relocated ramps to support one-way frontage road operation Ramps Changed from Diamond Configuration to X Configuration New signalization at Cross Streets Reduced from 4 to 2 signalized intersections at Cross Streets
Design Items to Consider Make sure adequate effort is put into Traffic Control Plans (TCP) IH 30 Project TCP was over 300 plan sheets Include cross sections for each phase to account for grade changes
Design Items to Consider Locate entrance/exit ramps in locations which allow the best/easiest access to businesses IH 30 Project switched system from diamond configuration to X configuration
Design Items to Consider Construct frontage roads with collector-distributors to allow continuous movement under cross streets Requires longer structures for cross streets Keeps frontage road traffic from going through signalized intersection at cross street Access from frontage road to cross street Collector/Distributor
Design Items to Consider Design with possible future growth in mind. You don t want to build something that is outdated from the start
Design Items to Consider Construct U-Turns at cross streets to expedite traffic from the frontage road one direction to the opposite direction, avoiding signalized intersections This has been a huge plus as far as the travelling public is concerned
Construction Items to Consider Use milestones to expedite critical phases of construction that are disruptive to traffic On the IH 30 project, we had 2 80-day bridge milestones
Construction Items to Consider Pick a date to convert, advertise several weeks in advance. and then stick to that date
Construction Items to Consider Keep the public informed during construction Facebook Twitter Bulk Postal Mail-outs Project Website Media Releases Public Groups (Rotary Club, Lions Club, etc.) A bunch of drunk monkeys must have designed this project Be willing to discuss project with anybody that wants to listen Inform public of upcoming changes to traffic patterns Develop a thick skin
Post-Construction Economic growth in Texarkana Ease of movement/mobility Big City feel Positive feedback Every year since the completion of the I-30 project, Texarkana has grown and experienced an increase in both sales tax and hotel & motel occupancy tax. - Jerry Sparks, Economic Development Director
Lessons Learned and Best Practices Planning/Design Stage Get stakeholders/leaders involved early Meet with businesses in small groups or individually Keep the public informed Use visualization techniques Use terminology the public can understand Consider bicycle & pedestrian accommodations/issues
Lessons Learned and Best Practices Construction Phase Work with local economic groups (Hospitality Association, Chamber of Commerce) to share information and coordinate on construction phasing (i.e. Christmas holidays) Design a TCP that minimizes impact to traffic and expedites construction Design ramps, U-turns, C-D roads to provide uninterrupted traffic flow Be willing to pay bonuses for accelerated construction Provide as much communication to the traveling public as possible
Keep a sense of humor It will get bumpy along the way!
Questions?