Loop 9 Transportation Study

Project History

First earmarked in 1957, the concept of an "Outer Loop" freeway around the Dallas metropolitan area was confirmed in 1964 by the Greater Dallas Planning Council's Regional Transportation Highway Plan. In 1964, the Texas Highway Commission authorized this outer loop around Dallas and identified and designated it as a freeway facility to be known as Loop 9 pursuant to a Regional Transportation Highway Plan.

The proposed Loop 9 Southeast project is consistent with the area's financially constrained long-range Mobility 2030: Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). The MTP is federally mandated; it serves to identify transportation needs; and guides federal, state, and local transportation expenditures. Since 1974 there have been 10 regional transportation plans; Loop 9 has been included in each of these plans. Loop 9 Southeast is an integral part of the region's long-range MTP. It would provide a direct link from I-20 to US 287 and would serve the residents in the area. The regional MTP recommends Loop 9 Southeast from I-20 to US 287 as a six-lane new location, tollway facility. This recommendation is based on travel demand forecasts for the year 2030, in which travel demand needs are in excess of those that can be satisfied by the proposed financially constrained regional transportation plan.

On November 5, 1991, Dallas County voters approved the 1991 County Bond Program, authorizing over $175,000,000 in bonds for transportation improvements. Included in the bond program was funding for the Loop 9 Feasibility and Route Alignment Study.

Although never finalized, the Loop 9 Feasibility and Route Alignment Study was authorized in 1995. The limits of the study corridor were defined as the proposed extension of SH 360 in Ellis County to IH 20 in Mesquite. The NCTCOG initiated a similar effort for the corridor continuing west of SH 360 to beyond IH 35W near Crowley. In 1997, study efforts resulted in a "Technically Preferred Alignment" that was approved and/or adopted by many of the cities and agencies involved in the Study. However, study efforts were temporarily suspended before a "Locally Preferred Alignment" was identified. The present day Loop 9 Study picks up where previous study efforts left off, studying the original alignments as well as citizen input, and incorporating new federal guidelines pertaining to the development of environmental impact statement.