A multi-year highway overhaul is about to tighten the screws on traffic near downtown Fort Worth, as a roughly $142 million rebuild of Interstate 35W frontage roads and ramps kicks off with one major casualty: the Sylvania Avenue bridge.
The project will reconstruct frontage roads along I-35W, rework ramps that connect to State Highway 121 (Airport Freeway), and bring extended closures in and around the Sylvania underpass. Officials say construction will be carefully staged to limit the pain, but drivers should brace for detours, alternating lane shifts and plenty of construction traffic for the duration.
What Crews Will Rebuild
Plans call for a full rebuild of the northbound frontage road along I-35W, demolition and replacement of the Sylvania Avenue bridge over SH 121, and a reconfiguration of entrance and exit ramps and frontage roads between Sylvania and Riverside Drive.
Design documents and reporting also outline utility relocations and a new continuous eastbound frontage road, including a separate bridge over the West Fork of the Trinity River. Those details were reported by the Fort Worth Report.
Funding And Approval
Last Thursday, the Regional Transportation Council recommended using $45 million in Regional Toll Revenue to help pay for the project. Staff also noted that TxDOT has identified a $97 million credit from the North Tarrant Express to cover the balance, bringing the total estimated price tag to about $142 million.
The funding request and staff analysis were included in the RTC business packet and recommended for approval by regional staff. See NCTCOG for the staff summary and proposed funding breakdown.
Timeline And Traffic Impacts
TxDOT and regional planners say construction is anticipated to begin before the end of the year and is expected to last about three years. The Sylvania bridge work, which will require full demolition and reconstruction, is projected to take roughly 18 months within that window.
Officials told reporters that utility relocation could begin as early as late summer but will be scheduled so it does not conflict with 2026 FIFA World Cup match days in June and July. The corridor is already packed, with TxDOT estimating that I-35W carries more than 165,000 vehicles per day near downtown, so planners say they will stage work to reduce closures during peak drive times. Materials from TxDOT outline the planned scheduling and traffic context.
Why The Fix Matters
The existing Sylvania underpass has a vertical clearance of roughly 13.5 feet and, according to regional staff, has been hit many times by over-height vehicles. Those crashes can back traffic up onto I-35W and trigger frequent lane closures.
Raising the clearance and modernizing the frontage roads is intended to cut down on those collisions and the domino-effect backups they cause, while bringing this segment of the corridor in line with long-range plans for the area. Structure data and condition notes are summarized by NCTCOG.
What’s Next
TxDOT’s Fort Worth district is expected to post finalized construction schedules, detour maps and public meeting dates on its project pages as contracts are awarded. Regional officials say they will also push updates to traffic-alert services.
Motorists and nearby businesses should prepare for night and weekend work windows and sign up for local alerts to stay ahead of shifting routes. For the latest detour information and timelines, keep an eye on the TxDOT project page.
