No more doing your makeup while sitting on I-35. On May 11, NTTA will open up the Chisholm Trail Parkway between Cleburne and the CBD. It’s spurring development along the southwest side and it’s one of the reasons we’re hosting the Fort Worth State of the Market event on April 17 at the Omni Fort Worth. Here is Part 1 of our peek into Fort Worth's dynamic market.

The Chisholm Trail Parkway toll road extends 27.6 miles from west of Fort Worth’s business district south to US 67 in Cleburne. The north-south toll road provides motorists with an alternative to I-35W, says NTTA spokeswoman Susan Slupecki. The main lanes will open (subject to Mother Nature’s whims) while work continues on direct connectors at I-30 and I-20, she tells us. Landscaping and public art will be added after the road opens with the final touches slated for completion later this year. (Our 20-feet high ceramic sculpture of a sad clown was rejected.)

In an NTTA study, SMU Cox School of Business prof and Maguire Energy Institute associate director Bud Weinstein concluded that among the most significant impacts of NTTA’s Dallas North Tollway and the President George Bush Turnpike were the size and pace of residential and commercial development adjacent to the thoroughfares. NTTA roadways may be greater economic drivers than ever before because transportation access is so important for residential and business choices made when choosing a location, Bud says.