The newest piece of Collin County’s long-planned Outer Loop went live last Friday, stitching together a continuous east–west connection from the Dallas North Tollway extension in Celina to U.S. 75 north of McKinney. The fresh stretch — Segment 3C — is the latest move in a beltway designed to tame congestion and guide growth across northern Collin County. For now, it’s a pair of two-lane service roads with space banked for future freeway main lanes. Translation for drivers: new traffic patterns and a couple of new bridge crossings to get used to.
What opened and where
Segment 3C runs roughly from FM 2478 (Custer Road) east to U.S. 75 and adds two new bridges over Honey Creek and the East Fork Trinity River, as reported by Community Impact. The build clocks in at about 8.9 miles and used nearly 155,000 feet of continuous reinforced-concrete pavement, per the same county presentation covered by the outlet. County officials told commissioners the work started in early 2024 and wrapped up ahead of schedule.
Why it matters for drivers
Local officials are pitching the link as an east–west bypass to shave minutes off cross-county trips and give relief to crowded parallel arterials, according to The Dallas Morning News. In a county release quoted by the paper, Collin County Judge Chris Hill said, “We’re tremendously excited to open this new segment of the Outer Loop,” calling it a project that will improve mobility and reduce travel times across the fast-growing northwest corridor. Planners note the loop dovetails with the region’s Mobility 2045 plan, part of the broader strategy to manage Metroplex growth.
What's left and how to weigh in
County materials show two remaining stretches to finish the southeast side of the loop: one from U.S. 380 in Farmersville to FM 6 in Josephine, and another from SH 121 between Anna and Melissa back to U.S. 380 in Farmersville, per Collin County. Public input on Segment 5 is open via a virtual comment period running Nov. 13 through Dec. 15; materials and comment forms are posted on the project website. Officials say that feedback will guide final alignments and right-of-way plans before any acquisition or construction.
Cost, construction, and next phases
Segment 3C costs about $62.7 million, funded by the county’s 2018 bond, according to county presentation details reported by Community Impact. The ultimate blueprint calls for freeway main lanes with two-lane service roads in each direction; the county is building the service roads first, then adding capacity as demand grows, the outlet reports. County engineers told commissioners that design work for the next set of Segment 3 service roads is slated to begin in 2026.
What drivers should expect next
Drivers in Celina, McKinney, and nearby communities should anticipate shifting traffic patterns as the service roads absorb more local trips while main-lane design moves forward. County staff say interim tweaks — including a traffic study at the U.S. 75 interchange and targeted lane additions where needed — are already underway, per Collin County.
