State Highway 190

Project Background

An outer loop around Dallas County was first envisioned in 1964. In 1968, the Texas Highway Commission authorized an outer loop around Dallas and designated it as Loop 9. In 1976, a management audit of the State Department of Highway Public Transportation (SDHPT, now TxDOT) indicated a financial shortfall for highway improvements. In 1988, the cities of Garland, Rowlett, Mesquite, and Dallas County sponsored a study to extend SH 190 from SH 78 to IH 20.

In 1991, SDHPT commissioned further study of SH 190 from SH 78 to IH 20 and recommended an alignment. In 2000, the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) began an updated/more detailed study to develop the section from SH 78 to IH 30 as the President George Bush Turnpike (PGBT) Eastern Extension and in 2004, TxDOT began a study to identify an alignment for SH 190 from IH 30 to IH 20.

Ongoing with the TxDOT study, the Town of Sunnyvale evaluated four potential routes through the town limits that were provided by TxDOT. The formal evaluation group, the SH 190 Citizens Committee, reviewed the routes to determine a preferred route. After careful consideration, the Committee unanimously chose a depressed alignment away from the lake to reduce impacts to the lake as well as mitigate noise and visual impacts to neighboring subdivisions. This alignment was presented to the public in 2014 and can be viewed here [add link]. 

ROUTE CONSIDERATIONS

The Committee originally evaluated three routes based on criteria they developed and recommended Route 2 as the preferred route. The Town Council received the recommendation and adopted a formal resolution to recommend Route 2. Following the Town resolution, Dallas Water Utilities (DWU) and other stakeholders indicated concerns with the recommended route, citing the potential to contaminate the water supply as it is extremely close to DWU's water supply intake on Lake Ray Hubbard. As a result of those discussions, TxDOT added an additional route and requested the Committee and the Town allow them to include the fourth route in the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

To mitigate the adverse aspects of having a major highway through the Town, the Citizen Committee stressed the desire for whichever route was ultimately chosen to be depressed to help minimize the noise and visual impact to neighboring subdivisions. Once it was determined the fourth route could be depressed more than route 2, and considering the positive economic benefits route 4 offered, the Citizen Committee and Council held a joint session to compare and contrast route 4 with the previously recommended route 2. Route 4 was determined to more favorable in nearly all categories and the Committee and Council voted unanimously to adopt route 4 as the final recommended route to TxDOT.

SOUTHEAST DALLAS COUNTY

Southeast Dallas County as well as neighboring counties have been continuing to increase in both population and employment. These trends are expected to continue over the next several decades. According to the 2020 Census, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex has over 7.6 million residents. By 2050, it has been projected that over 11.5 million people will live here.

PGBT EAST BRANCH PROJECT

Due to funding limitations, TxDOT elected not to continue its study of the SH 190 corridor in 2017 and the draft EIS did not progress to a Public Hearing. In 2022, the study was passed to NTTA as an extension of the PGBT and is now the PGBT East Branch project.   The PGBT East Branch project will review the previous studies along with new information on population, employment, traffic increases, and current-day travel patterns. Based on community and agency input, NTTA is currently evaluating two alignments supported by local municipalities which would be analyzed in the draft EIS.

CURRENT STATUS

The NTTA Project Team is meeting with local municipalities, stakeholders, and agencies to provide a project status update and obtain new information on growth and development near the alignments under consideration. Upcoming activities include preparation of the draft EIS and public involvements activities. 

All of the SH 190 Citizen Committee meeting agendas and meeting minutes can be found on the Agendas and Minutes page. Additional TxDOT information can be found on the Department's SH 190 - The East Branch Webpage.

Questions

If you have any questions, please contact Town Hall at (972) 226-7177.