Traffic mayhem could soon hit Fort Worth as the city council mulls a major road closure that's got commuters and local businesses bracing for impact. The stretch of North University Drive from Jacksboro Highway to Rockwood Park Drive might be shutting down for some 12 to 18 months as the roadway gets a significant lift, literally—about 10 to 15 feet higher off the ground—to keep it clear of the 100-year floodplain, a move deemed essential by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), according to the City of Fort Worth.
The closure is part of the massive Central City Flood Project, which aims to protect neighborhoods downstream, but it means headaches ahead for local traffic, the closure will facilitate a safer construction arena, with the project not kicking off until 2026 or later, the USACE says city council needs to get on board now—so they can get the ball rolling on design plans.
This isn't just another roadwork inconvenience—the North University Drive valley storage and roadway reconstruction is crucial among the nine major tasks of the Central City project still in the queue, the USACE states that it must precede the construction of downstream north and south bypass channels.
City officials have been busy holding talks and promise to keep doing so, with the many businesses that will feel the pinch during the construction period, as far as detours, the city says they'll sort those out closer to the D-day, and present a concrete traffic strategy to city council for approval, to ensure commuters aren't left totally in the lurch.
