Collin County Outer Loop Proposal

Texas Business reports:  The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) and Collin County announced that they have reached agreement on a framework for the development of all future turnpike projects in the county, including a tollway that will one day form a portion of a ring project around North Texas.

The Outer Loop is a proposed regional beltway - approximately 52 miles of which will be within Collin County. Under the new Interlocal Agreement, the NTTA and the county will collaboratively advance the planning, constructing, maintaining and operating of the Outer Loop, as well as future tollways in the county; additionally, Collin County can advance the service roads ahead of the toll lanes portion of the Outer Loop or other toll road, thereby spurring both economic development along the alignment and the feasibility of the completely built-out project.

“We have worked well together in the past with Collin County and this agreement ensures that good relations will continue well into the future,” NTTA Director Bill Moore said in a prepared statement.

Under the agreement, the NTTA has the first option to deliver a feasible toll project in the region, but the Collin County Toll Road Authority previously formed by the county could build the county’s section of the Outer Loop if the NTTA does not proceed with that project in accordance with the schedule and conditions agreed upon.

As part of the agreement, the NTTA and Collin County will form and maintain an advisory technical work group; TxDOT, the North Central Texas Council of Governments, and the Regional Transportation Council will be invited to participate on the technical work group, along with other parties identified by the NTTA and the county. The portion of the Outer Loop that uns through Collin County extends from its intersection with the Dallas North Tollway at the shared Denton County line, proceeds eastward north of the city of McKinney, and then south to the shared border with Rockwall County.

The North Texas Tollway Authority, a political subdivision of the state of Texas, is authorized to acquire, construct, maintain, repair and operate turnpike projects in the north Texas region. The nine-member governing board is comprised of chairman Victor Vandergriff; vice chairman David Denison; and directors Kenneth Barr, Kent Cagle, Bob Day, Bill Moore, Michael Nowels, Bob Shepard and Jane Willard.

The NTTA serves Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties and is responsible for the NTTA System, consisting of the Dallas North Tollway, President George Bush Turnpike, Sam Rayburn Tollway, Addison Airport Toll Tunnel, Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge and the Mountain Creek Lake Bridge.

The NTTA is able to raise capital for construction projects through the issuance of turnpike revenue bonds. NTTA toll projects are not a part of the state highway system and receive no direct tax funding.

Tolls are collected to repay debt and to operate and maintain the roadways.